By Jill Colvin
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
CITY HALL — Cathie Black’s appointment as the city’s next School Chancellor was upheld by an Albany Civil Supreme Court judge Wednesday, paving the way for her takeover of New York City schools on Jan. 3.
In the suits filed challenging her appointment, parents had argued that Black did not have the credentials legally required for the job. They accused New York State's Schools Commissioner David Steiner of violating the law when he granted her a waiver allowing her to serve, despite having no education experience.
But the judge sided with the state, which had argued that the commissioner has broad authority to interpret the statute outlining the job's credentials as he sees fit.
"The Court does not find that petitioners met their burden of establishing that the Commissioner’s determination that Ms. Black be granted a Certificate despite her lack of a master’s degree was irrational, and, accordingly, not entitled to deference, or an error of law," wrote Justice Gerald W. Connolly in the 26-page decision.
He also dismissed the argument that Black had been granted the waiver based on the qualifications of her new Chief Academic Officer, Shael Polakow-Suransky.
Norman Siegel, one of the attorneys who filed the suit on behalf of 13 parents, including Brooklyn Assemblyman Hakeem Jeffries, said he was "extremely disappointed" by the decision.
"We believe that the waiver was improperly granted. We had hopes for a different result," he said.
He said he will be speaking with the parents over the next few days to decide whether or not to appeal.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg, meanwhile, said he hoped this would put an end to opposition against his pick.
"This decision should bring an end to the politicking and grandstanding and allow us all to focus on what matters most: continuing to improve the quality of education we offer New York City’s public school children," he said in a statement.
He said Black is "ready to hit the ground running on Monday," her first official day on the job.
Bloomberg and other supporters have staunchly defended Black's selection, arguing that she is a "world-class manager" whose previous experience running large, complex organizations makes her a perfect pick for running the nation's largest school system.
