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Protesters Call for School Chancellor's Resignation

by Beth Fertig

NEW YORK, NY July 07, 2009 —City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is still in office, after the new Board of Education voted to keep him last week, when mayoral control of the schools technically expired. But some demonstrators are urging him to leave.

A few dozen parents, teachers and students protested outside the Department of Education headquarters. Sam Coleman, who teaches at PS 24 in Sunset Park, acknowledges they have an uphill fight because the Chancellor's job looks pretty secure.

COLEMAN: There's going to have to be a lot more movement like this I think we have to build it in the teachers ranks, and I think we have to be able to show Bloomberg and Klein there are a lot of teachers that are against this.

REPORTER: The demonstrators are now urging Senate Democrats to put more checks-and-balances into a bill the Assembly has already passed which preserves most of mayoral control. Mayor Bloomberg has opposed any changes.


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