Black comes in with some elected officials and parents screaming bloody murder that she does not meet the qualifications for the job. That she is not an educator. How could the mayor just do this?
But What If?
have seen lifetime educators at the helm of the nation's largest school system, and what results has the city received?
Using the best possible spin, average results. Being more realistic, horrible returns based on the amount of kids dropping out, graduation rates, and the billions invested. Though it is worth pointing out, under the “non-educator,” Joel Klein, graduation rates arguably went up 20 percent.
Days of outrage are being talked about, and lawsuits, but What if Mayor Bloomberg knows something about Black (that we don’t yet) which might make her an excellent Schools Chancellor?
Do we really believe Bloomberg would ride his legacy on someone who is not up for the job. He’s a three term mayor, and Bloomberg knows if Black fails, so does he. Bloomberg knows that he will live and die with Black.
What if Black does what all the other School Chancellors have not done, and actually turns the School System around?
What if as the first woman Schools Chancellor she brings a sensitivity the system has never seen before?
Sure Black could fail, but come on folks, we can’t continue the status quo year after year, after year.
Even my wife Marilyn who is a lifetime educator and cares deeply about children is against Black serving as Chancellor. Ok, fine. No disrespect here to educators, but we are losing an entire generation of children. We unfairly expect educators to be teachers, social workers, and almost parents to the children, but that is not what we are talking about right now.
Somebody has to be bold enough to think outside the box, to rock the boat, to stand up to all the political interests.
To all the critics now against Black, what will you say if she delivers, and proves to be one of the best chancellors ever?
What if?