Cathie Black Out as NYC Schools Chief

Well, that was quick: Former magazine exec Cathie Black is leaving her post as chancellor of New York City schools. She is to be replaced by Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott. Black was a controversial choice from the start, having previously served as an executive at Hearst Magazines and with little education experience. But NYC mayor Mike Bloomberg championed her appointment, pointing out her business know-how in a time of squeezed education budgets. A recent poll showed that only 17 percent of voters thought Black was doing a good job in her post. “I take full responsibility for the fact that this has not worked out as either of us had hoped or expected,” Bloomberg said in his announcement. “But now it’s time to look forward, not back.”