Sources: Schools Chancellor Fariña To Step Down
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- New York City schools Chancellor Carmen Fariña is stepping down, sources said late Wednesday.
Fariña has held the post since Mayor Bill de Blasio took office at the beginning of 2014. Sources confirmed to CBS2 Wednesday night that Fariña plans to step down.
A Brooklyn native and the daughter of immigrants from Spain, Fariña began her career as a classroom teacher specializing in social studies, according to the Department of Education. She spent 22 years at P.S. 29 in Brooklyn, and went on to become the city's most successful principal and superintendent, according to the DOE.
Under her leadership as principal, P.S. 6 in Manhattan rose from 76th on a citywide reading test to among the top three, the DOE said.
Fariña was elected community superintendent of Brooklyn School District 125 in 2001, and served as Deputy Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at the Department of Education from 2004 until 2006.
As chancellor under Mayor de Blasio, Fariña oversaw the expansion of the city's pre-kindergarten program to more than 53,000 4-year-olds. She also expended the community school model to provide more wraparound services to students and families, and created a standalone department to support students learning English, according to the DOE.
But just this week, the Department of Education announced plans to close nine schools in the mayor's costly Renewal Program due to a lack of results.
CBS2 reached out to the Mayor's office and the Department of Education late Wednesday. Neither would comment.