Another Bad Night For Cathie Black

WCBS 2

Things just are not going well for Schools Chancellor Cathie Black. Not well at all. On top of her disastrous Wednesday night appearance (in which she mocked jeering parents at a vote over 10 school closures) last night things got so tense that more than a thousand angry parents, union members and teachers stormed out of a meeting regarding another 12 school closures. ""Ms. Black, what in the world is wrong with you? You show utter contempt and scorn for the parents you should be serving. If you don't want to be here, then leave—because many of us don't want you here anyway," City Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn) told the Chancellor.

Black spoke little over the course of the hearing (as she was there to mostly hear) but that didn't stop the scorn heaped upon her. After the first round of people spoke at the hearing—350 people signed up to speak, The Awl has a few highlights from them including “you have created the Lost Generation,” and “since I know you’ve already made up your minds, I’m not going to address you, I’m going to address the audience” and “as far as the UFT is concerned, this panel, this process, is illegitimate.”—things got crazy when a large portion of the auditorium stood up and, according to NY1, "began marching out to the sound of drums and whistles, forcing the panel to suspend the hearing for the next half hour."

When the hearing restarted there were only a few hundred people left. Just before 1 a.m. the panel voted to close all of the schools on the chopping block.

And in other bad news for Black, a new poll found that only 21 percent of New York voters think she has done a good or excellent job in her first month as Chancellor. Not that the Mayor, who chose Black for the job, cares. On WOR this morning hizzoner instead focused on how unpatriotic it is to boo: “The decorum—this is embarrassing for New York City, New York State, for America. This is not democracy, letting people yell and scream. That’s not freedom of expression. That’s just taking away someone else’s rights,” he said.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Garth Johnston in News on February 4, 2011 1:08 PM

Comments [rss]

Bernie_Geotz_Squirrel_Luv

These students are set up for failure from the get go. Why else do you think bloombag wants control of the juvenile justice system? Money to be made, my friend. There's more money to be made.
He doesn't give a rat's ass about poor minority students.

nolastname

Taking away someone else's rights who never should have been given the position in the first place.
I feel badly for the woman though, maybe because I could not take the pressure she is under. It either rolls off her back or some strong meds are working.
I also believe it is Bloomies fault, he must have convinced her it would all work out if she accepted the job. "decorum" too funny.

Fyunke

Not one comment includes a substantive complaint. People are enraged because she reflected the juvenile behavior of the audience after listening for 7 hours! What's the real complaint here? That she and the Board closed schools that they say are failing? Do people want to send their kids to failing schools? Are the schools not failing? Would love to see some substantive commentary.

ANGRYGOD11

The problem with closing schools is they cannot really be closed. The kids must go to a local school and the DOE permitted bad situations for years. Now we are supposed to believe everything is going to be perfect from the same clowns who let this happen?
So, the kids are moved around, the teachers are reassigned, the buildings are as bad as ever, the textbooks remain outdated and the new principal will make sure the kids are trained to pass the evaluation tests.
This all costs money and the education will probably be worthless.

Fyunke

Thanks, AG11. I definitely appreciate the frustration of reshuffling, and I am very concerned about the testing emphasis. That said, is there no chance that the so-called smaller schools that purportedly provide more autonomy for local school leaders couldn't provide better results? Wouldn't local kids attend the "smaller" schools that replace the larger ones? I know the much touted results of charters are controversial - fewer ESL and special needs students etc. If schools are failing or underperforming, however, shouldn't the Mayor and his Chancellor be doing something to shake up the system?

spiv

Keeping track of his atrocities is not only frustrating, but incredibly tiring! Once she got past the board of Regents I just gave up caring about her. That's actually one of his ploys - just to wear us down.

I am feeling pretty good today seeing all the dissent on Gothamist, even though I suspect that the powers that be are secretly shilling for him in hopes of a buyout!

felixthecat

people can hate her all they want but she is just a mouthpiece for Bloomberg. he is the one that is pulling the strings.

Rod

that makes it more glorious:

it's BLOOMBERG's FAULT she is being pilloried.

i think that's karma at it's finest

ANGRYGOD11

Aren't all political appointees who serve at the pleasure of their boss the same?
Its a copout as she really does have other options than this job.

felixthecat

Of course she has other options but bloomberg doesn't permit dissent. Bloomberg run the show and sometimes his people take the blame as with the snow storm. He claimed the deputies decided not to call a snow emergency with consulting him. Bloomerg is as corrupt as they come

spiv

This woman is a clown, and I'll bet she's not even a parent. It would be typical of bloompolean to not only force feed an unqualified candidate down our throats, but an unqualified one with no point of reference either!

C'mon Cathy make some more nazi jokes, and call for forced abortions in overpopulated areas too!

ANGRYGOD11

Not to come down on you personally, but usually when someone remarks I'll bet this is true, its usually something anyone can check with Google within 10 seconds.

spiv

just lazy today!

ANGRYGOD11

Its a pet peeve of mine.
In any case, her children's boarding school situation was very well documented by the media since Bloomie nominated her.

RabbiLaFunque

She and both her kids went to private schools, her kids to exclusive boarding schools.

spiv

must be nice! I was very lucky to have my daughter get into one of the 'new' at the time, smaller public high schools. This was when we thought he was actually cleaning things up; then he tried to steamroll a charter school into our building, which was defeated successfully, only to be met by extreme retribution against the school, adversely affecting the kids.

ANGRYGOD11

"This is not democracy ... that’s not freedom of expression. That’s just taking away someone else’s rights"

This from the mayor who had many innocent people hauled away during the GOP convention in NYC?
Yes, booing IS EXPRESSING the public's contempt, anger, disgust and dismay at what is happening to the city's (not your personal ) school system, Bloomie.

Rod

he had 1800 people falsely arrested.

then he stole tens of millions from you to pay the court penalties and the lawsuits from his crimes.

he won.

ha ha

Spirit of 76

Bloomberg's right in one sense. It is indecorous to boo in a public forum. If you want to talk or even argue, that's one thing. But boos only show you have nothing substantial to say.

That said, Black is just the wrong person for this. As a business executive, she's used to dealing with staff who will never vociferously disagree with her and always getting the last word herself. That's definitely not the case where the public school system is concerned.

Rod

do you not know the ONLY reason they have the "public hearings" is b/c they're obligated to by LAW.

they have no interest in what anyone says. these meetings are FAKE window dressing.

more revolution! now!