Speaker coach, keynote speaker and speechwriter Jezra Kaye writes on her blog about chancellor-to-be Cathie Black’s first speech to parents on Monday. Here’s an excerpt from Kaye’s blog:
This morning, the local news is playing a clip of “Chancellor-in-Waiting” Cathie Black’s comment about housing small charter schools in the same buildings as large, “underutilized” (read: poor, since no middle class school in NYC has extra space; and isn’t it great that we have a two-class public school system?) school buildings. This policy saves the system money, but has concerned many parents, who’ve spoken up.
Black’s comment was (get ready), “Most of that screaming and yelling is staged. But some of it is just fear of the unknown.”
Oh, yeah, she’s gonna connect real well with an audience of New York City public school parents!
No wonder Bloomberg wouldn’t let her talk.
But she is right! There is a professional class of screamers in this city. Anything Bloomberg does gets them tied up in knots. In general, the city, including the school system, is better run than it has ever been. There just seems to be a ton of resentment against Bloomberg, and now Black. I don’t know if it is a class warefare or something else, but Cathy Black is right. Most of us are very happy with the direction the schools are going in, and I am thrilled that my kids will have the option to go to a charter school, instead of a failied institution.