Checker has an op-ed in today's NY Post?it's entitled, Senseless ?certificate,' silly hurdle for schools boss. In it, he criticizes the NY state law requiring that school-system heads possess a ?superintendent's certificate.? The situation in question, of course, is the selection of Cathie Black to replace Joel Klein as NYC's schools chancellor. State Education Commissioner David Steiner can waive that certificate requirement for Black, and has convened a panel to review her qualifications and advise him on the matter. But Checker has some tough criticism for the regulatory process here. He says:
Whether Black is a solid choice for this key post is surely open to debate, as is the mayor's appointee to run any crucial city agency. But Black's strengths and weaknesses?and Bloomberg's wisdom?are where this debate should focus, not on an antiquated state law and arcane regulatory process that have nothing to do with school effectiveness.
He also notes that ?many of the most impressive leaders and reformers of big-city school systems in recent years? haven't?held such a certificate.
Check out the full article.
?Amy Fagan