NEW YORK — The state education commissioner agreed Monday to let publishing executive Cathie Black serve as New York City schools chancellor, putting the Hearst Magazines chairwoman in charge of the nation’s largest school system.
The announcement came after Mayor Michael Bloomberg agreed to appoint a seasoned educator as second-in-command to Black, who needed a waiver from the state because she has no background in education.
Bloomberg announced Nov. 9 that he had chosen Black, the former publisher of USA Today, to succeed Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, who is leaving at the end of the year to take a job with News Corp.
Bloomberg called Black, 66, a “world-class manager” who would inspire the school system’s 1.1 million students and 135,000 employees.
The second-in-command job will go to Shael Polakow-Suransky, deputy chancellor for performance and accountability.
