Politics & Government

Black Gets Waiver, Opponents Won't Back Down

The Deny Waiver Coalition plans to continue protesting Black's appointment.

On Monday publishing executive Cathleen Black, Mayor Michael Bloomberg's choice to replace Joel Klein as chancellor of New York City's schools, received the waiver from State Education Commissioner David Steiner she needed to assume the role.

Steiner's signature, which Black required because of her lack of education experience, was the final roadblock to Black's appointment, but opponents of her selection are not backing down.

The "Deny Waiver Coalition," a group of teachers, community leaders and concerned parents, has denounced Steiner's decision and is holding a rally outside the Tweed Courthouse at 52 Chambers St. at 4 p.m. Thursday. 52nd Assembly District Leader Chris Owens is one of the organizers of the coalition.

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The group has called the waiver "immoral, unethical and illegal." They are also unsatisfied by a compromise between Steiner and Black in which Black has agreed, as her first act as chancellor, to hire an education expert as her chief deputy.

"The selection of the next NYC Schools Chancellor is just too important to be left to cocktail party repartee and back room negotiations," said Patricia Connelly, a Brooklyn parent and coalition member in a statement. "So now it's up to ordinary public school parents and teachers like myself to stop this madness - in the courts, on the streets, over the Internet - by any nonviolent means necessary."

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