Interesting news in today's NYT:

In defending his selection for schools chancellor, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg has called Cathleen P. Black, a publishing executive with no education experience, "exactly the right person for the job" and suggested that her skills as a manager were unrivaled.

Ms. Black, however, was not the first person the mayor asked to take the position. Mr. Bloomberg tried to persuade Geoffrey Canada, the prominent Harlem education leader and a friend of the mayor, to be chancellor, but Mr. Canada turned it down, according to two people with direct knowledge of the discussions.

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Educator Is Said to Have Rejected Chancellor Job

By JAVIER C. HERNANDEZ

Published: December 9, 2010

www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/nyregion/10canada.html