Removal of corporate school chancellor a people’s victory

By Sara Catalinotto
Co-founder of Parents to Improve School Transportation

Parents raise their demands at Queens, N.Y., rally. Photo: pistnyc.org

The dismissal and/or resignation of Cathleen Black as New York City school chancellor on April 7 is a political victory for parents and other supporters of equal, quality public education for all children.

Black’s insensitive “suggestions” offended people from every community. On overcrowded classes, Black opined, “Could we just have some birth control?” To solve inadequate busing for students with disabilities, she suggested they take a taxi.

African-American and Latina/o New Yorkers, whose children comprise more than four-fifths of the student body, noted with outrage that New York City billionaire Mayor Michael Bloomberg chose Black — a white crony with zero exposure to public education — over qualified candidates of color. Black was the insult added to the injury of mayoral control of city schools.

Despite loud protests of all kinds from parents, educators and community activists strategizing together for the first time, the state granted Black a waiver to exempt her from the typical education credentials required for the job. State Education Commissioner David Steiner, who granted Black’s waiver, also resigned on April 7.

Bloomberg is a ruling-class billionaire who owns media. His stance has been to ignore what the masses think. However, by April — with his approval rating dipping toward Black’s own 17 percent and with March 24 “Day of Rage” and April 4 “We are One” mass mobilizations at his doorstep — Bloomberg had to do something to put his side of the class war in a better light.

One chant last winter was: “Cathie Black must go! Steiner must go! Bloomberg must go!” So far it is two out of three.

Organizing continues for quality public education for all

However, merely removing the best symbols of Bloomberg’s agenda for turning public education into a capitalist venture does not reverse the damage. Those who genuinely care about New York City students continue to organize. Many feel empowered by Black’s ouster.

The labor movement has exposed the city’s $3 billion surplus and the state’s killing of a tax on millionaires, and people are angry that more money is going to the rich instead of to education. On April 14, some 600 demonstrated in a Queens, N.Y., rally to “Protect Our Children; Save Our Teachers and Schools.”

On April 8, parent Leonie Haimson of Class Size Matters was still advising that “25 percent of all elementary schools have waiting lists for kindergarten next year, with over 3,000 children who cannot get into their zoned neighborhood schools. Over 8,000 students, or 10 percent of all 8th graders, did not get into any of their ten choices for high school.” Haimson urged people to speak out at an education budget hearing that day against the proposed cuts of 6,000 teaching positions. (www.classsizematters.org)

An online survey created by parents at www.recallbloomberg.com proposes a new law to allow a recall of Bloomberg and cites a New York City Charter provision for having him charged and suspended. The website notes that the Bloomberg administration “has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on no-bid contracts ... [and] is rushing to close schools but ... did not give these schools the tools they needed to serve their students.”

Parents to Improve School Transportation received the www.recallbloomberg.com link from a leader in Staten Island’s Community Education Council. While Staten Island is considered the “conservative” borough of New York City, when faced with an assault on what should be basic rights — education and the necessary transportation to support it — working-class families there have responded in sync with all others.

Bloomberg’s new choice for chancellor, Deputy Mayor David Walcott, has certain education credentials and is of Afro-Caribbean heritage. However, parent activists tend to doubt that anyone so close to Bloomberg could differ significantly from his education agenda.

The fight for access to free and relevant education is inseparable from the fight against racism. The ruling powers in New York City know this and seem to view Walcott very cynically. An opinion piece in the bigoted New York Post listed his advantages over Black, concluding that Walcott “won’t be mau-maued by the education activists.” (April 10) The Mau Mau uprising in Kenya was for African self-determination against British colonial rule.

City Councilmember Charles Barron told the April 15 Amsterdam News, “We are not looking for personality change; we need policy change. Walcott said he will continue the school closures, give preferential treatment to charter schools and keep turning out high-stakes test-taking mills.”

Black’s exit reminds us that political heat generated by united adults can ultimately change the situation of school children. Today, all signs are that this heat will be maintained until the root issues are resolved. As one PIST parent put it, “We should go after the puppet master, Bloomberg.”

Parents to Improve School Transporation was founded in the fall of 2010 to demand realistic school bus routing in New York City. The current system, which is especially disruptive for students with special needs, is taking valuable time away from children’s education.