“She was simply not qualified for the position,” Menin said in a statement. “Her resignation is a good thing for our school children; hopefully, it’s also a sign that the mayor has finally recognized that you cannot run the nation’s largest education system without qualified and experienced leadership.”
Norman Siegel, an attorney for parents who had sued to block Black’s appointment, said: “This confirms what the parents have said from Day 1, that Ms. Black did not have the educational credentials to become chancellor.”
With no credentials as an educator, Black needed the waiver from state education Commissioner David Steiner, and an advisory panel recommended that he deny it. But Steiner indicated he would give the green light if Bloomberg elevated a deputy chancellor with an education background. The mayor eventually agreed to create the position of chief academic officer as a No. 2.
Walcott, too, will need a waiver, and Bloomberg said he believed one would be issued quickly. Wolcott will report directly to the mayor, who no longer will have an education deputy at City Hall. The chief academic officer position will remain.
More school-reform news and opinion:
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