Critics: New Schools Chancellor Black Needs Schooling

Yesterday, longstanding Schools Chancellor Joel Klein abruptly resigned to join the team at News Corp. as a senior adviser. “I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg for giving me the best job of my life and for being there every step of the way in the effort to improve education for our students," he said during a press conference yesterday. "I am thrilled that the Mayor has selected Cathie Black, a distinguished leader, to move this work forward." But as Manhattan BP Scott Stringer put it, "Google's going to be kept very busy today. Who is she? And why was she picked to be New York City schools chancellor?"

Well, Google and ye shall receive. For the past 15 years, Black, 66, has been the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines, earning her the nickname of "The First Lady of Magazines." Before that the Chicago native was the President and Publisher of USA Today and the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Newspaper Association of America, to name a few positions. And despite her lack of experience in the education world, Bloomberg said, "She is brilliant, she is innovative, she is driven - and there is virtually nobody who knows more about the needs of the 21st century workforce for which we need to prepare our kids."

Critics are already questioning why her publishing background makes her eligible to run the city's public schools. Black does serve on the board of the Harlem Village Academy charter school, but the Daily News notes her own children were sent to the Kent School, a boarding school, in Connecticut. When City Council member Tony Avella, a longstanding Klein opponent, heard of her appointment, he told the Observer, "Oh for crying out loud! Out of the frying pan and into the fire, I guess. Obviously he doesn't get the message. You can't transpose one managerial executive from one industry to the Department of Education. We need someone there who understands how to develop curriculum, who understand parental involvement, who understands what principals, teachers and students go through on a daily basis. In my opinion a magazine publisher doesn't cut it."

Charles Barron had some similar words: "C'mon now. She is not an educator. How many times are we going to make this mistake? She should not be in there. This city has some great educators in the Black and Latino community. It's time to consult those educators."

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By Jaya Saxena in News on November 10, 2010 10:37 AM

Comments [rss]

ANGRYGOD11

Private industry skills translate poorly in the public sector. In the former you do what makes money and with the latter do what you must as per the law, the voters, politicians, unions, etc.

IBM can decide to not make personal computers anymore, but the Department Of Education doesn't decide not to bother with certain students because its not a good return.

Jen S

In my specialized industry, there's no way such a high position would be filled with an "outsider." No way.

Gerry

I taught in the south Bronx 45 years ago. Same problems...different players. Nobody cares about the kids. This song I wrote in 1966 best states what I feel.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u46Uwa6KMQM

Wza

It's Bloomberg's world, we're just living in it.

spqrxxi

nicemarmot: the publishing industry is doing just fine. You might notice there are a lot of magazines out there and people reading them, too. Furthermore, it makes money and employs a lot of people. When a title does not do well, Hearst does not keep it around the way some failed schools and methods are allowed to endure. Change is part of the work pattern of magazine publishing. So is staying close to what the consumer wants.

Principals and teachers should be in charge of curriculum and learning systems. The job of the DOE is to provide buildings, staff, buses, books, equipment, money and so forth. A large scale manager such as Ms. Black should by no means be discounted. She certainly saw what a well run school looked liked where she henrolled her kids to attend school. Our city could do worse than to have these standards applied to the public schools of the five boroughs.

chuzzlewit

http://goanimate.com/movie/0sUj-dVZYKSs/1

StedyRuckus

Sending her kids to boarding school does not give her insight as to how a well-run school is operated. Especially when it is a $45,000 a year tuition, and has a larger endowment then the DOE could ever hope for.

And Principals and teachers are not in charge of curriculum for the most part.

GalBklyn

Just a question - would Bloomberg hire her to run his company? . Would the Board of Goldman? Bloomberg inc. and Goldman claim to run their business on knowing their clients and constituents. While she is a "great" manager, could she successfully run Bloomberg inc. or Goldman if she doesn't know the requirements of financial service industry clients that these two companies support?

The nut is that It takes more then managerial skills to run a large business or government agency. You really have to know the business - substantially. There is a reason there is no press conference - she doesn't have the lay of the land. Which begs the question - Why should the NYC Department of Ed not have the same standards of Goldman or Bloomberg, inc. in hiring their top manager? Or is this Bloomberg continuing to destroy the "public" in public education?

Spirit of 76

But, uhhh... she went to school once upon a time. Therefore, she knows education!

Rfive

Dennis Walcott isn't too busy. He could mentor her.

nicemarmot

Oh yeah, because the publishing industry's doing so well. Clearly she really understands the needs of the workforce.

fuboy

"there is virtually nobody who knows more about the needs of the 21st century workforce for which we need to prepare our kids." Okay, mr. mayor, but that doesn't mean she knows sh*t about educating that workforce.

But, Mike's trying to break down our school system, so a financial exec in the top spot would help to whittle down the expenses so we're spending as little as possible on public education.