PUT ON ‘CALL BERATING’
Carranza virtual dig at late pol – who was caring for his ailing mother TEACH THE KIDS!
Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza angrily scolded a City Council member for being late to a virtual public hearing, ignoring his explanation that he was tending to his ailing 96-year-old mother.
Carranza’s outburst, during a meeting of the advisory Panel for Educational Policy on Thursday, recalled the time he walked out of a Queens district meeting when parents complained their children were physically and sexually assaulted. He later accused the parents of “grandstanding.”
This time, Carranza blew up at Queens lawmaker Robert Holden, who was not logged in to the video meeting when first called upon at about 7:30 p.m.
“I had a number of issues to handle tonight including my mother in a nursing home fighting for her life and may have COVID,” Holden explained when he was finally called upon two hours later.
Holden then criticized the chancellor’s recent comment to school leaders, “Never waste a good crisis,” as reported in The Post.
That comment “was an insult to everyone fighting COVID,” Holden said. “That comment was disgraceful, and he should apologize for it.”
Holden also disagreed with the Department of Education’s new K-to-8 grading policy, which rates students only as “meeting standards” or “needs improvement.”
The councilman said the policy did not reward effort or excellence, and that many constituents want the DOE to keep numeric grading.
Carranza then burst in, saying he normally doesn’t speak during the public comment period but wanted to “clarify the record.”
“Had he been present at the start of the meeting . . .” Carranza began.
“I was dealing with my mother’s situation. Don’t insult me,” Holden interjected. His microphone was then muted.
“Had the councilman been present at the start of this meeting . . .” Carranza repeated, and went on to say Holden missed his clarification about the “wasting a crisis” comment. “It’s unfortunate
that politics are taking over,” Carranza said. “This council member consistently, consistently persists on politics. I will not stand for it.”
He then yet again chided Holden, a registered Democrat, for being “three hours late” to the meeting.
“Stop the ad hominen attacks and get on board and help us serve our community,” he finished.
Holden told The Post that earlier in the meeting he had been parked at a nursing home awaiting an ambulance bringing his mother from the hospital, where she had been treated for five days for a COVIDlike fever and difficulty breathing, although she tested negative for coronavirus.
Holden sent a letter to Mayor de Blasio on Friday complaining about Carranza’s “unprofessional and disrespectful conduct.”
Miranda Barbot, a DOE spokeswoman, would not explain why Carranza ignored Holden’s explanation for being late, but said: “Our thoughts are with the Council Member and his family during this difficult time.
“After he missed several calls for comment, we were happy to give him the floor,” she added. ‘‘It’s unfortunate he chose to use that time to attack rather than offer constructive feedback.”