Out of Mike’s League

November 11, 2010 (GBN News): The abrupt resignation of NY City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein, and Mayor Bloomberg’s surprise choice of his successor, Cathleen Black, has led to rampant speculation as to the real story behind these moves. But GBN News has learned that the reason for the change was actually quite simple, and it came down to money.

“The Mayor was never really comfortable with the Chancellor”, a source close to Mr. Bloomberg told GBN News, on condition of anonymity. “To put it very plainly, Joel wasn’t rich enough. There’s a qualitative difference between the very wealthy and the merely well off. Joel just wasn’t in the same class.”

“Mike feels that the most important quality in a Chancellor is empathy,” the official went on to say. “He wanted someone who can relate to him, who knows what it’s like to be in the trenches. A person who understands the tough decisions parents have to make, like, ‘Do we send the kids to a prestigious boarding school, or to that exclusive private school in town?’ Joel never had to make a choice like that – for someone of his limited means, it was private school or nothing.”

When reached for comment, the Mayor denied that he has a means test for top appointees. “That’s silly, you don’t have to be a billionaire to work for me,” the Mayor told GBN News. “Cathie’s just an average New Yorker, probably worth no more than a few hundred million at most.”

In a related story, Ms. Black’s appointment as Chancellor may not be a done deal. Education Commissioner David Steiner is said to be considering whether her many years’ experience as a student might actually over-qualify her under State education law, which requires just three years in the education field.