New York's billionaire mayor Michael Bloomberg shocked the city late last year when he nominated millionaire media executive Cathie Black to replace businessman Joel Klein as chancellor of New York City's public schools. Klein wanted to go back into the "private sector" (media, in fact) while (former media executive) Bloomberg is still in office so he can cash in his ties and connections while there's still time. Black has zero experience with education or New York's public schools, and had even sent her own privileged children to private schools. Bloomberg had to twist arms to get Black through the vetting system: there are laws preventing someone without a Masters Degree in Education or teaching experience from holding such a key post, but as usual, Bloomberg didn't care about those and insisted that the board responsible for approving candidates gave her a waiver. Which of course they did. Bloomberg doesn't think that laws apply to rich people like himself. He has shown this over and over again.
New York's parents have been outraged since the initial announcement...Bloomberg was thoroughly booed at an MLK Day celebration. Well now Ms. Black has made what she called "a joke" that shows her true colors and they're not pretty.
According to the NY Daily News: "Could we just have some birth control for a while?" Black said Thursday night. "It would really help us."
So Ms. Black thinks that the problem with New York City's failing public schools, the population of which is overwhelmingly non-white, is uncontrolled breeding. Or at least she thinks it's funny to joke about it: there are just too darn many little brown children running around ruining the place! Well I suppose we can be slightly grateful she took a break from blaming teachers' unions for the disastrous state of the public schools, but she might notice nobody's laughing now.
Count me as shocked, SHOCKED, that Cathie Black turns out not only to be entirely disinterested in how working class people get an education, but she's a racist to boot. How many days has she been on the job? I'm thinking those days are already numbered.
I think I am getting to the point now that nothing shocks me anymore. Some women really embarrass me. Good lord we seem to be devolving!
ReplyDeleteI just can't imagine how she thought her remark would be taken!
ReplyDeleteIt's like even if there wasn't this whole racial/class component, can you imagine starting a new job and saying "wow, this job would sure be easier if we had fewer customers!" Just not very wise.