Breaking: Cathie Black Is Out, Dennis Walcott Is In As Schools Chancellor

Cathie Black, Dennis Walcott, and Mayor Bloomberg at PS 109 last fall (NYC Mayor's Office)

[Update below] Cathie Black, fresh off her dismal 17 percent popularity numbers, is reportedly stepping down as Schools Chancellor. Mayor Bloomberg is going to be giving a press conference announcing the change at 11:30 a.m.. For the time being she will be replaced by Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott, NY1 is reporting. To quote Maggie Haberman's Twitter: "Cathie Black is Bloomberg's Harriet Miers."

The news that the former Hearst executive who came to the top education job in the city with no education experience will be vacating after just four months is a nasty setback for Mayor Bloomberg, who has made education reform a priority for his third and final term in office. But considering her her gaffe-filled first few weeks, the insanity of her appointment's waiver process and her dreadful approval numbers it isn't necessarily surprising. It is not entirely clear if she is going voluntarily or is being pushed out (the Times says her departure is "at the mayor’s urging" while the News' source says it is a "mutual agreement"), but the news comes hot on the heals of reports that the fourth major deputy in the department was leaving in as many months.

Black's replacement Walcott is set to appear with Bloomberg at the press conference coming up. The Times is reporting that Black herself will not be in attendance.

Update: Bloomberg, who has "nothing but admiration" for Cathie Black says the decision came because the story was increasingly about Black and not about the kids. But still he takes "full responsibility for the fact that this has not worked out the way we hoped or expected."

In the meantime Walcott—who started his career teaching kindergarten and has a masters in education but will still need a waiver for the job—appears to be the anti-Black. "I'm just a guy from Queens" he said today before pointing out that his family has had four generations pass through New York public schools (his parents, himself, his kids and now his grandchild).

While he transitions to the new job Walcott will continue to oversee the Department of Education as Deputy Mayor, though essentially he'll start on the new job immediately. His salary, when he takes the job, will remain at the Deputy Mayor level, which is lower than the Chancellor traditionally makes. In addition the Bloomberg will not be replacing Walcott with a new Deputy, allowing the city to save a few bucks.

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

By Garth Johnston in News on April 7, 2011 12:03 PM

Comments [rss]

ih8bloomturd

dont cry for her bet she walked away with a sweet serverance package benefits for life etc

ANGRYGOD11

Whenever someone uses the phrase I'll bet this or that is true, it usually means they were too lazy to check the facts. The person she replaced,former Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, put in 8 years to get a $34,000/year pension.
Now, how much do you want to bet?

unretrofiedforu

Then you know what - good for us! She shouldn't deserve any severance anything.

splinterfoot

thanks for wasting our hard earned money, mayor dick. we the stockholders are delighted to inform you that you're fired. now stop making us look at you. get off our tv's. get out of our mailboxes. put on some ugly shorts and fly your private jet to bermuda for good.

matteus

Who would vote this man for president?

Rocknrope

What a colossal waste of time.

GalBklyn

MIke Bloomberg - humble?

Wonder what made him make the change? I'm thinking those numbers are his cover -- something else went down.

We'll find out after the dust settles (and Cathie Black is tucked away in BVi) I am sure...

NlGGAZ

It doesn't matter who becomes schools chancellor. you can't teach these kids anything except how to get 16 and pregnant. The only schools worth saving are the specialized schools but they don't need help.

unretrofiedforu

Do you really believe that? Deep down in your heart?

And still everyone wonders why education sucks in this country - because you can't have it both ways, either you believe in these kids or you don't. Shit sucks because we've teaching them half-assed.

NlGGAZ

Yes as a product of the public school system I know firsthand how hopeless these kids are. I was very lucky to have gone to kindergarten and grades 1-2 in the northwest before I got to public school here. As soon as I got here they were amazed I could read in the second grade and I skipped 2 grades and was promoted to 4th grade. It was horrible. Teachers didn't care and students really didn't care. The teachers that did care got shit to show for it. I had to pretend I was dumb just so other kids wouldn't cheat off me every time. Then I skipped 8th grade. I did my best so I could get the hell out of the public school. And it wasn't teachers that made me smart or desire to be so. It was my own voracious need for higher learning and I taught myself. How? the library. It's free. It's free to read books. The internets have a free flow of information. Almost everything in the world can be found on an iphone with googel, wikipedia, and youtube. So I don't care if the school system implodes the smart kids will find a way.

unretrofiedforu

Well, all I can do is apologize for your bad experience. I, on the other hand had a great K-12 experience on public dime. Great teachers who cared and no 'troubled kids'. My IS even had full art, choir, and orchestra programs, in 1999 no less! - but that's another discussion.

The only kids who really fucked up were the ones I knew in parochial school, ironically (or perhaps non-surprisingly?).

And I would consider myself one of the 'smart kids' (was in the SP/accelerated HS classes in elementary and intermediate) but wouldn't be where I was without the school system.

There are many reasons as to our discrepancies. Don't know where you grew up but I would put location as the no. 1 reason (I grew up in western Queens). All the more reason why we need REAL educators at the top, NOT business people who focus on demographics all day.

Guest

I'm one of the 17% here — obviously not a popular position. Being head of the schools has nothing to do with education creds and everything to do with knowing how to run a huge corporation, balance budgets, and manage HR and facilities spending. The best CEOs don't meddle with everyday affairs, they the create fertile ground for employees to do what they do best. Sorry to sound so grown-up, but it's obvious that she's been railroaded by the teachers' union. Too bad the union can't see beyond their own prejudices and given her a fighting chance.

Guest

that is not the narrative that is emerging from insiders at City Hall. from NYT.

"Ms. Black’s time as chancellor was troubled from the start. During her three months on the job, she offended parents with an offhand joke about birth control and bewildered City Hall aides when she seemed to mock a crowd of parents protesting the closing of a school. Aides complained that she required intensive tutorials on every aspect of education policy. And on Monday, a NY1-Marist poll put Ms. Black’s approval rating at 17 percent, the lowest ever for a Bloomberg administration official.

Inside City Hall, mayoral advisers said, there was a growing sense that Ms. Black could no longer do the job. Mr. Bloomberg is famously reluctant to dismiss members of his handpicked team. But even he agreed it was time for Ms. Black to go, they said."

ishtar_79

If all of this is true, she really did need to go. This isn't the publishing world where you can be cruel and still expect people to toe the line.

Also, her needing extensive tutoring on education policy isn't all the relevant. What would be an issue is if she were dismissive of said policy.

Guest

apparently 83% of people think her lack of knowledge about educational policy is quite relevant.

unretrofiedforu

My whole thing is - 'really?' Was it really any surprise the public wouldn't trust a capitalist to run their children's education system?

Nell

she was not railroaded by anyone..this was not the job that she was qualified to do..she alienated staff who tried to assist her..people left and just transfered..this was not a corporation this is dealing with the education of children.. you must learn how to deal with the people who you are working with and she just didn't get..dont be an outsider learn from the facts before you make a statement

ishtar_79

Everything you typed makes sense, except her not being qualified. She is qualified, but like you said "she alienated the people trying to assist her". There is no way Black could have managed to be successful in this posistion when she refuses to listen to people who actually do the job everyday.