May 4, 2013

Mayor Bloomberg's aides cried sexism to induce 28 famous women to endorse his choice for NYC school chancellor.

The NYT reports:
As they prepared to contact dozens of famous women, his aides planned to use several talking points, among them [Cathleen P.] Black’s managerial and business accomplishments, according to the e-mails. The aides also planned to argue that there was “clearly a difference” between the ways the public treated Ms. Black, “a female publisher without educational experience,” and her predecessor, Joel I. Klein, “a male prosecutor without educational experience.”

In the end, 28 women signed the letter, including Gloria Steinem, Evelyn Lauder and Whoopi Goldberg....
"The Bloomberg administration hoped the endorsements could help persuade the state education commissioner to grant Ms. Black a waiver to become chancellor, which she needed because of her lack of education credentials:
Ms. Black eventually received the waiver, and the job. But she resigned just 95 days into her tenure, after Mr. Bloomberg concluded that the situation could not be salvaged.

20 comments:

David said...

In other words the woman was completely unqualified, generally incompetent and a celebrity groupie.

My question is why Bloomberg chose her in the first place. Will NYT look in to that?

Flaming idiots.

Wince said...

She reminds me of the woman who turned up in Florida after 11 years.

Bloomberg should have appointed her.

ndspinelli said...

Gloria Steinem is still alive?

Anonymous said...

I enjoyed the part about the Newspaper Publisher who fought the FOIA of emails between the Government and herself on the topic of their mutual PR campaign

Goose, meet Gander

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

Celebrities to the rescue.

Are you qualified? No? Well then, as long as you're a good democrat, all you need are some celebrity endorsements.

edutcher said...

ndspinelli said...

Gloria Steinem is still alive?

She was the first to use the word "rule" in connection with the upcoming Obama Administration.

And, yes, in answer to your next question, she still looks like a Russian wolfhound.

m stone said...

Nice to see The Village Voice doing some decent reporting and FOIA requests.

Sydney said...

My question is why Bloomberg chose her in the first place. Will NYT look in to that?

I remember the big two page spread the NYT did on her when he first appointed her. I came away from the story with the impression the only qualification she had was that she lived in the same apartment building as Bloomberg (and a lot of other power players.)

James Pawlak said...

It now appears that NY's Nanny Fascist is incompetent as to matters of education as he is as to the Bill Of Rights.

bgates said...

As they prepared to contact dozens of famous women

I do hope they had contact information for each woman on an individual piece of paper, rather than (shudder) binding them together.

AllenS said...

I dunno, it worked for Obama.

Baron Zemo said...

What's the big deal that she resigned after all this?

A woman is entitled to change her mind.

Christy said...

After reading both articles I've no clue why she was a disaster in the job. Doesn't that break all kinds of journalistic standards? Now the question is why didn't they include it. What are they hiding?

kcom said...

I don't think you should have to be a fully indoctrinated member of the "education" establishment to do a job like that. Sometimes fresh blood and a fresh perspective is a good idea. But you have to bring something to the table as a selling point for your appointment beyond celebrity endorsements. Ivanka Trump giving you props is not such a something.

Kev said...

(the other kev)

I kind of hope Blomberg changes his mind about retiring after this term and appoints himself Mayor-for-Life. He's just what New York deserves.

virgil xenophon said...

Bloomberg's actions are all part of the "Brave New World" of education "reformers" like Bill Ayers, Michael Rhee, Arne Duncan, The Coalition of Essential Schools, New Vision, The Harvard Grad School of Ed, and other NGOs who would, under the guise of the new "Common Core" curriculum that in the name of "equality" and "reform" seeks to shove a one-size-fits all nat. standard down the nation's throat via "outsiders" based on the vision of guys like Ayers. Arne Duncan was in charge of implementing this on a minor scale in Chicago. It's all worked out so well..

Sam L. said...

Bloomie's got a real talent for irritating people. Or no common sense--he wouldn't have that because it's just so common.

cubanbob said...

Scratch a liberal, find a fascist.

Phil 314 said...

What difference does it make