Cathie Black's Waiver Worries Will Never End

Cathie Black (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

You almost have to feel sorry for Cathie Black. Almost. All she wanted to do was run the New York Department of Education in peace and instead all she gets are boos, angry parents and, now, threats her new job might not be hers for long. Remember how she had to get a waiver to take the job because she wasn't qualified? And how parents swore they'd appeal when she got it? Well, it looks like they're living up to their threat.

A group of lawmakers and child advocates, the Deny the Waiver Coalition, are planning to announce tomorrow from the steps of the Tweed Courthouse that they are appealing a lower court's decision on Black's waiver, hoping to push her out of the job.

If they succeed and Black's waiver is revoked, she'd have to step down immediately. Which doesn't really have the Coalition worried. Their lawyer makes the sound argument to the Observer that by design Bloomberg and the Department have "surrounded her with a bunch of people who are qualified to run the school system. If they're all as qualified as they say they are, which they certainly seem to be, then they can last for a couple weeks while they find a replacement for her."

The appellate court will decide on the appeal on March 15th. The Ides of March.

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By Garth Johnston in News on February 9, 2011 5:55 PM

Comments [rss]

spiv

"surrounded her with a bunch of people who are qualified to run the school system."

Really, why wasn't one of them suggested instead of an unqualified candidate? The utter transparency of his bullshit still amazes me!

ishtar_79

While I think the process for appointing this woman is all wrong, at what point do people begin to fight this hard to reach a consensus? I see a bunch a shrill people drowning out all rational thought.

mmheidelberger

Wow, that photograph is cracking me up, its just about the most unappealing one could ever have done of themselves.

nolastname

The pic looks like she is keeping her mouth shut. An action she should have taken from day one, after she said, "No thank you".
We do have a puppet master of a _ayor. I feel sorry for her and the influenced decision that was made.

teacherman

My opinion? Cathie Black is a setup. Bloomberg has (and always had) someone else, a controversial educator, in mind for the position....

... his first choice would have been loathed, but with the Cathie Black situation, when she leaves/steps down, the original, controversial figure, will seem less like a problem and more like a "decent alternative" to Cathie Black.

Just my opinion, not based on anything... just that the Cathie Black situation seems perfect to be a setup to push through something more drastic...

unretrofiedforu

Who?

hunter_blatherer

Remember how everyone was all about "Bloomberg can't be bought"? I guess they didn't think he'd do a bunch of favors for his friends.

Or maybe Cath has some dirt on him?

Rod

the only prayer we have is that more citizens need to harangue these two criminals every single day until they resign, because neither needs the headaches or bad reputation.

and note how often the press doesn't ask mike to explain why - in these tough times - multi-millionaire Cathie Black doesn't get paid $1 too.

Rod

come on... guess how many judges will ignore the law to AVOID TAKING ON THE RICHEST MAN AND MOST POWERFUL MAN IN NY?

it's called "choosing your battles".

(if you think the gov is more powerful than the mayor of nyc you are way wrong.)

it's like saying "i wonder who will defy Chancellor Hitler?"

A: almost no one.

bloomturd is so dangerous, he singlehandedly put Bush / Cheny back into office in 2004 and returned the NY Senate back into GOP hands last november.

if cuomo didn't pledge allegiance to The Corporation, mikey woulda shattered records funding the GOP candidate.

if courts were reliable, you wouldn't have riots in Egypt, nor lazy new yorkers crying for change from their sofas.

FU Boy

Okay, Bloomberg. Your move.

And please, for the sake of the commenters, please continue to show how little you care about your constituents by continuing to force this woman into the top DOE spot.

GalBklyn

Actually, it's more about him then us.

Unless someone whispers into his ear that this is ... ahem... damaging to the Mike Bloomberg brand, he'll be the stubborn (fill in the blank) that he is and fight this ever step of the way.

And he'll lose this one -- big time.

FU Boy

True. But it really makes me sad that the Onion's character from the mid-nineties, T. Herman Zweibel, media mogul turned Plutocrat, is alive and well.

I remember how I laughed at his ridiculous antics as satire. Such a sweet memory from the early days of college - broken by bitterness and contempt because I get to live the real-life version as one of the plebes.

GalBklyn

Come on friend, it's always darkest before the dawn. Just as with all ego driven men with no moral center, empathy or compassion, our own Zweibel will crash and burn. He's entering the danger zone. Making his powerful friends look bad.

Have faith, hang back and be ready. Taking back this city has just about begun.

FU Boy

Well, shucks. Thanks, GalBklyn. Internet optimism received!

But I still want to think revolutionary thoughts. He's not the only problem we have.