Schools

Halloran Calls Criticism of Chancellor Pick "Premature"

Change-of-heart for councilman, who asks for name to be removed from resolution to deny waiver for Cathie Black

Councilman Dan Halloran, R-Whitestone, said he made a "rush to judgment" by signing his name to a City Council resolution that called on the state's education commissioner to deny a waiver that would enable Cathie Black to become the city's new schools chancellor.

Last week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg tapped Black, who previously acted as the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines and a publisher of USA Today, as a replacement for Joel Klein as schools chancellor.

Halloran joined other City Council members asking David Steiner, the state's education commissioner, to deny a waiver that would allow Black to become chancellor. The councilman later said his move was "premature" and asked for his name to be removed from the Council's resolution.

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"I realized this was a rush to judgment," he said. "I would like to ask my colleagues on the City Council to give Ms. Black a chance. I want to hear more from the mayor on her qualifications to be chancellor and the process used in her selection. And I want to hear more from Ms. Black on her plan to improve our city's public schools. It is premature to call for the denial of her waiver at this time."

Halloran said he believes the Council should give Black a "fair hearing" at which she could testify about her plans for city schools.

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On Tuesday, Bloomberg picked up support on his schools chancellor pick from three former city mayors, Rudy Giuliani, David Dinkins and Edward Koch.

In a letter to Steiner, the former mayors wrote that Black had "an extraordinary track record of managing large organizations through trying circumstances."

"These are three individuals who understand the need to have someone who is talented and competent running an agency of this size and that, at the end of the day, the buck stops with the mayor," Bloomberg said in a statement.

A bevy of elected officials have also thrown their weight behind the mayor on the matter, including Councilman James Gennaro, D-Fresh Meadows, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and former Council Speaker Peter Vallone.

But State Senator-elect Tony Avella blasted the mayor's decision to appoint Black, arguing that a nominee for the post should have a background in education.

He sent a letter to Steiner last week, asking the commissioner not to approve a waiver for the mayor's nominee on the grounds that she did not have a degree in educational management or prior educational experience.


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