Rise & Shine: Massive turnover in NYC education leadership

Chancellor succession news:

  • After 3 months as NYC’s schools chancellor, Cathie Black was fired yesterday. (GS, NY1DN, Post, WSJ)
  • For the last nine years, Dennis Walcott has been City Hall’s liaison to the school system. (Times)
  • When former Chancellor Joel Klein’s policies angered people, Walcott tried to calm them. (WSJ)
  • Friends say Cathie Black was “very disappointed,” when Bloomberg asked her to resign. (Times)
  • Black says she’s “fine” with her removal and spent the afternoon shoe shopping. (Daily News)
  • Black’s ouster is an embarrassing reversal for Bloomberg and a sign of a shaky third term. (Times, WSJ)
  • Bloomberg blames himself for the Black debacle, but it’s unclear what he’s learned from it. (Daily News)
  • From the beginning, Black’s appointment was marred by a string of gaffes. (Daily News)
  • Now that she’s out as schools chief, Black could return to the media world. (Post)
  • The Times calls Walcott a “sensible, solid choice” to rebuild the Department of Education.
  • DOE critics and fans have greeted Walcott’s appointment with initial approval. (NY1DN, Post)
  • Room for Debate asks why being Black’s corporate skills weren’t enough to run the DOE. (Times)
  • When students challenged his waffle-making skills, Walcott offered to prove himself. (Daily News)
  • The Post wishes schools could fire teachers as easily as Bloomberg fired Black.
  • “Managerial fetishism” may have led the mayor to think Black could run the DOE. (Post)

Commissioner succession bulletin:

  • NYS Education Commissioner David Steiner will leave the post in August. (GSDN)
  • John King, Steiner’s second in command, is a leading contender for the job. (WSJ)
  • The Post says Steiner’s greatest accomplishment was revealing the tests to be too easy.

Other news:

  • NJ Gov. Chris Christie says he wants a peer-evaluation plan for teachers. (Post)
  • A Brooklyn special ed teacher was arrested for injuring a 10-year-old student. (NY1Post)
  • A Bronx teacher was arrested yesterday for showing lewd pictures to students. (NY1)
  • Two students were hospitalized after another student doused their classroom in pepper spray. (Post)
  • The teacher who threatened a Columbine-like attack said she didn’t think before she spoke. (Post)
  • An appeals judge upheld a former teacher’s sodomy conviction. (Post)