Today in El Diario: So Long, Cathie Black
Community Happy that Cathie Black Gets the Boot
Leaders of the immigrant community hope that Dennis Walcott, the new schools chancellor, will serve Latinos and immigrants better than the previous chancellor, Cathie Black, according to the Spanish-language daily.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Thursday that Black had resigned and that Walcott was taking her place.
"It's in the best interest of the city that she resigns her position," Bloomberg told the paper at a press conference. "I assume all responsibility for the fact that it did not go as well as I could have hoped."
The Mayor assured the crowd that his appointee has "vast experience," and is familiar with the public school system as a student, professor, and parent, the paper reports.
Bill Thompson, former comptroller and Democratic mayoral candidate, told El Diario that Black and her predecessors neglected the needs of immigrants.
"What we have seen in the last eight or nine years with Chancellors Joel Klein and Cathie Black is that they didn't recognize students who were in the process of learning English," he said. "I think that, with Walcott, we're going to see that he focuses more on immigrant students."
Lillian Rodriguez Lopez, president of the Hispanic Federation, told El Diario that Walcott is "better prepared" to handle the job.
"Also, he's from an 'outer borough.' He's someone that has worked with students and understands their challenges and needs," she said.
Sen. Jose Peralta(D-Queens), said that he's proud of his neighbor.
"Walcott's Queens roots and his knowledge of our needs and worries are sources of hope and pride," Peralta told the paper.
For Assemblyman Marcos Crespo, Bloomberg picked the ideal candidate.
"Walcott is the best peron for the job, without a doubt," he remarked to the paper. Walcott is going to "move New York forward."
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