“It’s great to see you guys here because, actually, I’m your boss. We’re in tough times and you work very hard, and you will never, ever hear me say a bad thing about you. You make all the difference for our children and I will always sing your praises. We have to look at what’s in the best interest of our schools and with me that starts tomorrow. My goal is to lower the tension level and lower the rhetoric and try to engage a variety of different people who agree or disagree with us and make sure they understand the common vision of where we’re going.” —Talking to 30 public school teachers in the congregation at a Bronx church on Sunday, incoming New York City schools chancellor Dennis Walcott makes the prudent decision to kick off his new gig by seeming really sweet. [NYP, NYDN]
