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A day after the state education commissioner granted her the waiver she needs to become schools chancellor, Cathie Black visited PS 109 in the Bronx to greet parents and students.

The 66-year-old new chancellor was joined by Mayor Bloomberg and Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott on Tuesday morning. They stood by the doors of the school shaking hands and posing for photographers from about 8:15 to 8:30. Bloomberg departed a few minutes later, telling Black "I'm leaving you, you're in charge."

Black then spent half an hour touring the pre-K through fifth grade elementary school of almost 800 students in the University Heights neighborhood. When she emerged, she told reporters she "had a great visit" touring classrooms and that she met with the principal, the PTA coordinator and other parents. She also read aloud to a class of first graders from the 1940 classic "Caps for Sale," about a peddler selling hats that are then taken by monkeys. "We asked them what they wanted to be when they grow up and we had everything from a policeman to, uh, the man who brings out babies," she said laughing. "So we learned a big new word this morning."

"She was a natural in the classroom," said Principal Amanda Blatter. When asked by a New York Post reporter later if Blatter thought Black could take over her job tomorrow, the principal said "I do. From what I've seen today I think she's going to do very, very well."

PS 109 is considered a high-performing school in a neighborhood that used to have among the worst schools in the city. It earned an A on its annual progress report. The school's population is mostly low-income and Hispanic, and it has a significant number of English Language Learners. "It's very exciting for me but it's all about the PTA, it's all about the principals and great teachers," Black added. "I interacted with a few of them. The school looks beautiful. All their artwork is displayed so it's a very well run school and that's about the leadership."

Wearing a pinstripe pants suit and looking confident, Black answered a handful of questions before leaving for meetings at the Department of Education's headquarters downtown. It was her first press conference since the mayor announced her suprising appointment on November 9th. She said she planned to visit as many schools as she can before officially taking office on January 3rd. "I'm very much of an outreach person, historically, and I look forward to it because that's where I'm going to learn more. And I want to be in the schools and listen to the children, and get a feel for the schools and a feel for their leadership."

Nicole Bush, a mother from the neighborhood who said her children attend other schools, stood near the reporters and shouted a question at the new chancellor. Referring to more than 50 low-performing schools that could be closed by the city, Bush told Black if that happens "the schools that are open are going to be overcrowded. Where do you stand on that?"

Black declined to comment, citing her first day on the job. But she said "all of these things are very important and challenging questions and we'll come up with what we believe are the right answers."

Black also acknowledged her biggest challenge will be the "reduced budget." She said she's got a great team and singled out Shael Polakow-Suransky, who was elevated to the job of Chief Academic Officer in order to win Black's approval from the state, for being a very smart and able experienced educator. But Black stood by her own credentials.

"The mayor has said right from the beginning in our first conversation 'What I need is a very experienced manager who's used to complex organizations, who's a decision maker and is a very good people person." She said she believed her skills in publishing are transferable to running the department of education.

As for the controversy over whether she was qualified for the job, because of her lack of education experience, Black said "that was yesterday and todays' today, and I'm the new chancellor."

Parents had mixed opinions about the new chancellor, though. Juliana Annan, who said she has two children in PS 109, said "if she's going to be a leader for the schools she has to have experience. Everybody care about the school, I care much about the school, but if you put me to teach even kindergarten I can't do it. Cause I have no experience."

Parent Linda Peterson met Black and Bloomberg as her child headed into school. She said she told Black she's very excited because "I think an outsider with no friends in the system's just what New York City schools need." She added that she hopes Black does away with teacher tenure in exchange for giving out raises based on performance.

But Jacqueline Babsky, whose fifth grade daughter attends the school, was on the fence. "I do understand the mayor wanting someone who is an expert manager," she said. But "someone who's an educator would understand it's not just all about testing."

As for Black choosing the Bronx for her first high profile school visit, Babsky said "I don't want to say it's political, you know. I want to believe that she really is concerned about what our kids need. And maybe it's like a field trip. She's really interested and she wants to find out more. And I would really love that if that's what it is."