The Delegate Assembly of the United Federation of Teachers, the union’s policy-making

body, today approved a resolution calling for new state legislation that would mandate
a nationwide search and “a public process of engagement” for final candidates for the
office of Chancellor of New York City public schools.

The resolution criticized Mayor Bloomberg for “conducting his selection process for the
chancellor in secret, and withholding from the public the most basic information on that
process”, saying the Mayor has “thwarted the intent of mayoral control of New York City
schools, and created a controversy which ill serves New York City public schools.”

“A chancellor should have a full and thorough understanding of teaching and learning,
a solid grasp of education issues and concerns and practical experience as an educator
to appreciate the impact of policy choices and administrative directives on the real world
of schools and classrooms,” the resolution said, adding that “the process by which a
non-educator is granted a waiver to become chancellor must be deliberate, thorough
and credible if that individual’s tenure in that office is to be considered legitimate by
educators, parents, local communities and the general public.”

The resolution, which was passed by a show of hands by the approximately 1,000
delegates present, reads:

WHEREAS in order to lead New York City public schools and ensure that all students
receive the quality education to which they are entitled, a chancellor should have a full
and thorough understanding of teaching and learning, a solid grasp of education issues
and concerns and practical experience as an educator to appreciate the impact of policy
choices and administrative directives on the real world of schools and classrooms; and

WHEREAS in recognition of the value of educational knowledge and experience to the

office, New York State education law requires that a chancellor possess (a) certification
in educational leadership; (b) a Masters’ Degree; and (c) a minimum of three years of
teaching experience; and

WHEREAS New York State education law further permits the State Education
Commissioner to provide a waiver for a non-educator to be chancellor if that individual
possesses other “exceptional qualifications;” and

WHEREAS the process by which a non-educator is granted a waiver to become

chancellor must be deliberate, thorough and credible if that individual’s tenure in that
office is to be considered legitimate by educators, parents, local communities and the
general public; and

WHEREAS by conducting his selection process for the chancellor in secret, and
withholding from the public the most basic information on that process, Mayor
Bloomberg has thwarted the intent of mayoral control of New York City schools, and
created a controversy which ill serves New York City public schools;

WHEREAS in response to the nomination of a non-educator for the office of chancellor,

New York State Education Commission David Steiner has announced the formation of an
independent panel, including educators, to evaluate the request for a waiver and make a
non-binding recommendation to him; therefore be it

RESOLVED that the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) support the process
established by State Education Commissioner David Steiner as a credible and fair
procedure for deciding on the request for a waiver from the qualifications for chancellor
of New York City public schools promulgated in state education law; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the United Federation of Teachers support legislation to

reform the process for the selection of the Chancellor, making it open and transparent,
with the following features: (a) a nationwide search to attract the most qualified
candidates, (b) a full and systematic vetting of the short list of the final candidates; and
(c) a public process of engagement for the final candidates.