Black May Not Be NYC School Chief

Cathie Black, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s pick to be the next school chancellor, was dealt a serious blow in her quest to succeed Joel Klein: A state advisory panel denied her request to bypass some of the state’s requirements. Black, a former Hearst magazine executive, needed a waiver from the state to let her bypass two prerequisites: that she have a degree in education and several years of teaching behind her. The eight-member panel recommended that State Education Commissioner David Steiner deny her the position, and Steiner said he would “weigh their advice and insight as I consider the decision before me.” Although Steiner didn’t say when he would make the call, one member of the panel said he plans on turning Black down for the job, unless Bloomberg appoints another high-ranking official with a background in education. In a Quinnipiac poll, 51 percent of New Yorkers said Black had no qualifications to be chancellor and only 26 percent said she did.