The head of the city’s teachers union offered his stamp of approval for most of the names mentioned as candidates being considered for schools chancellor under Mayor-elect Bill de Blasio.
United Federation of Teachers President Michael Mulgrew, in his first public comments on the search, praised a handful of the leading contenders Monday.
Mulgrew didn’t hesitate to offer kind words for former Deputy Chancellor Carmen Farina, state Board of Regents Member Kathleen Cashin, Stanford Prof. Linda Darling-Hammond, former Baltimore schools chief Andres Alonso and Montgomery County, Md., Superintendent Joshua Starr.
“All of these people you’re talking to me about — great,” Mulgrew said, speaking to the press outside a “Reclaim Public Education” event at UFT headquarters in lower Manhattan. He noted that the list of names mentioned in the press included only educators. Mayor Bloomberg’s former Chancellors Cathie Black and Joel Klein were criticized for lacking a background in the field.
But Mulgrew offered a less-than-sterling review for Chicago schools chief Barbara Byrd-Bennett.
“Obviously, the closing of 52 schools in Chicago is a problem, since closing schools in New York City is an issue,” he said.
On Washington, D.C., Superintendent Kaya Henderson, who is closely identified with Bloomberg administration allies in school reform, Mulgrew could only promise to keep an open mind.
The teachers union endorsed former Controller Bill Thompson over de Blasio in the primary but is nonetheless in close contact with the transition team, Mulgrew said.
Mulgrew dodged a question about what specific advice, if any, he’s given to the future mayor on his chancellor pick, saying instead he was willing to offer it in private.
“Mr. de Blasio’s policy and ours, as you all know, are pretty much in alignment on education. So it’s more about letting him and his team do their process and try to get the person they think is best for this moment at this point in time,” Mulgrew said.
