November 16, 2010

David Steiner
Commissioner
New York State Education Department
89 Washington Avenue
Albany, New York 12234

Dear Commissioner Steiner,

We were as surprised as anybody to hear of Chancellor Klein’s resignation last week. We

were even more surprised however, by the immediate announcement of Cathleen Black, as his
successor seemingly without any search, public process, or even interviews.

This is a time of crisis for NYC schools. The recalibration of state test scores so that they better
align with college-ready standards made this crystal clear. We now have 369 schools (K-8)
with more than 2/3 of their students testing below proficiency. 300 of our schools have more
than 20% of their students testing in level 1. All told, there are 239,000 elementary and middle
school students in need of supports and services to put them on track for college success.
These numbers are daunting and don’t even include high schools.

Given the breadth and depth of the challenges that the next Chancellor will face, we urge you
to hold at least one public forum where Cathleen Black outlines her vision and her plans for the
239,000 students as well as for the large number of schools that need intensive support and
guidance in order to turn around.

Before a waiver is considered, we believe it is imperative for parents, elected officials, and other
stakeholders to have a chance to know how this candidate, or any other, will approach their
responsibilities as the chancellor of our school district with over 1.1 million of our children.

Sincerely,