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Friday, November 26, 2010

Meet Shael Polakow-Suransky: DOE’s new second-in-command | GothamSchools

Meet Shael Polakow-Suransky: DOE’s new second-in-command | GothamSchools

Meet Shael Polakow-Suransky: DOE’s new second-in-command

State Education Commissioner David Steiner is expected to grant Hearst Magazines executive Cathleen Black the waiver she needs to become schools chancellor on Monday, on one condition: that she appoint current Deputy Chancellor Shael Polakow-Suransky as her Chief Academic Officer.

Suransky, who has worked in the city schools for 16 years, will be responsible for the administration of the city’s education policies and serve as Black’s chief advisor, according to a letter Mayor Michael Bloomberg sent Steiner today.

Here are four things to know about the city’s new educator-in-chief, who will serve as second-in-command to Black’s manager-in-chief:

1. His theory of change revolves around improving “instruction,” which is a different way of thinking