Bill de Blasio Appoints Education Veteran Carmen Farina As NYC Schools Chancellor
Fariña served as a deputy schools chancellor from 2004-2006 and had previously been the principal at the well-regarded Upper East Side public school P.S. 6. According to The New York Times, Fariña's appointment "reflected Mr. de Blasio's desire to depart radically from the educational policies of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, including the emphasis on data and policy of shuttering low-performing schools. The choice is also in keeping with Mr. de Blasio's pattern of appointing people with deep governmental experience."
Given de Blasio's emphasis on his potential education policy reforms - which includes a plan for universal prekindergarten - during the NYC mayoral campaign, his pick for school's chancellor is widely viewed as one of the most important choices he will make during his transition.
According to a press release from de Blasio's office, by naming Fariña to the top schools post the mayor-elect "emphasized his commitment to working with parents as partners in education, establishing truly universal pre-kindergarten for four-year-olds and after-school programs for middle schoolers, and prioritizing college and career readiness over high-stakes testing."
de Blasio made the announcement in the auditorium of Middle School 51 - a public school in Park Slope, Brooklyn - where both of his children attended.