WHO MIGHT BE STEPPING IN
THE MAYOR sang the praises of outgoing city schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña on Thursday — but some insiders say privately he’s not so sorry to see her leave.
At a City Hall press conference announcing her departure, Mayor de Blasio spoke in glowing terms of Fariña’s ability to execute his vision for the public schools.
“I’m thrilled with what Carmen’s achieved and I want to just deepen what she’s already started,” said de Blasio, whose control of the public schools was extended through 2019 by the state Legislature. He and Fariña have worked together on education issues for roughly two decades.
“I’m very satisfied that we have the right the blueprint,” he added when a reporter asked what he seeks in the next chancellor. “I would welcome additional good ideas. But am I looking for something we don’t have now? No, I think we have the right blueprint right now.”
But behind the door on that blueprint, insiders have said de Blasio has been growing impatient with Fariña’s inability to communicate his education agenda to the public.
“De Blasio thinks the schools are doing great,” said one Education Department official who requested anonymity. “He can’t understand why he gets negative coverage and pushback over things like school safety.”
The mayor said a national search to replace Fariña, 74, who will leave by the end of the school year, has been underway for months. He refused to give details.
De Blasio touted record graduation rates, college readiness rates and state test scores as proof that his education policies have worked for the schools under Fariña.
“I think the challenge for the next chancellor will be to continue progress at this clip and then try to build upon it,” he said.
But insiders said relations between City Hall and the Education Department have been deteriorating for months. “In general, trust levels are extremely low,” said one. “Might as well be Trump’s White House.”
City Hall spokeswoman Olivia Lapeyrolerie denied there’s any friction.
For her part, Fariña said she’s looking forward to retiring. “In the next stage of my life I am not going to have a BlackBerry to walk around with,” Fariña said. “I am going to go out to dinner and not have to respond to any emergencies.”