Stop the Waiver – Sign the Petitions
Have you signed both petitions to deny a waiver to Cathie Black, the nominee for NYC Chancellor? She does not have the necessary credentials (actually ANY education credentials)
One petition urges NYS Education Commissioner, David M. Steiner to deny the waiver (click here). The other, initiated by NYC Kids PAC, will generate e-mails to the Commissioner, his deputy, the Board of Regents, and your own State Senator and Assemblyperson (click here).
Please sign both now.
Several years ago, when discussing Mayoral control of the schools New Action urged the UFT Executive Board to recommend that there be NO waiver for Chancellor. Then-president Weingarten rejected the idea. We can’t allow the Mayor to screw us twice. Again, please sign the petition. Thank you.
The text of the petitions follows:
Deny a waiver to Cathleen Black; she is unqualified to become NYC Chancellor!
Mayor Bloomberg has appointed Cathleen Black as the new NYC Schools Chancellor to succeed Joel Klein. Ms. Black is a corporate executive and magazine publisher who has no education experience, did not attend public school herself, and sent her children to private boarding schools in Connecticut. Her background does not qualify her to lead a school system of 1.1 million public school students.
NY state law requires that candidates for school superintendency who do not meet minimal requirements must receive a waiver from Education Commissioner David Steiner. This waiver is to be issued only to persons “whose exceptional training and experiences are the substantial equivalent of such requirements and qualify such persons for the duties of a superintendent of schools.” Ms. Black has no “exceptional” training or experiences that would qualify her for this position.
NYC has had nine long years of a chancellor who was not an educator. NYC public school students have suffered enough with crowded classrooms, inflated test scores, and parents shut out of the system. Our children can only be saved if we have an educator as Chancellor, and who understands what a quality education really means. The waiver must be denied.
Take action now by signing our petition, and your letter will be sent immediately to Commissioner Steiner, the Board of Regents, and the entire NY State Legislature. Please also follow up with a call to the Commissioner’s office at (518) 474-5844.
Thank you for supporting our kids.
NYC Kids PAC
—- —- —- —- —- —- —- —- —-
Denial of NYC Chancellor Waiver
Dear Commissioner David M. Steiner,
Today, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced his appointment of Cathie Black to replace Joel Klein as Chancellor of New York City Schools. Ms. Black, currently executive vice president of Hearst Magazines, lacks the required educational and professional qualifications for the position of Schools Chancellor as determined by state law. As a result, she will require a waiver from your office in order to accept the appointment.
The children, parents, and educational community of New York City deserve a leader with experience in education. Ms. Black’s corporate experience may well qualify her for executive positions in business, but the education of our children and the training of our teachers is not corporate business. We urge you, as an educator, to:
~Deny the necessary waiver for Ms. Black’s appointment
~Reaffirm the qualification requirements for NYC Schools Chancellor
Sincerely,
Leave a Reply