Barbara Martinez & Michael Howard Saul

David Steiner, the state education commissioner, has “serious concerns” about granting magazine executive Cathie Black the necessary waiver so that she can become the next New York City schools chancellor, according to a person familiar with his thinking.
The commissioner, however, would be more open to granting a waiver request if it includes a plan to pair Ms. Black with a strong deputy with educational experience, this person said.
Mr. Steiner “recognizes the leadership qualities” of Ms. Black, the person said, but education issues in New York City are so complex that when he “looks at this as a whole,” his “initial inclination is to say no to the current waiver request,” the person said.
A new poll released Tuesday from Quinnipiac University Polling Institute showed that 47% of city voters disapprove of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s appointment of Ms. Black, with 29% supporting the selection and 25% saying they are undecided. Voters with children in public schools disapprove of the appointment by an even higher margin, 62% to 25%.