"Chief mom" leaves DOE for mayor's office
After three years as "Chief Family Engagement Officer" for the Department of Education, Martine Guerrier is leaving to become a "Senior Policy Advisor for Community Partnership and Engagement" in Mayor Bloomberg's office, where she will work with Deputy Mayor Dennis Walcott.
In announcing Guerrier's departure, Chancellor Joel Klein praised the "chief mom" as a "tremendous advocate for public school families." He said she " has pushed us to consider parents in all of our decisions."
Guerrier, a public school parent and the first person to serve in her post, was appointed with great fanfare in February 2007. During her tenure, the office established informational sessions for parents in 10 languages, family events in Central Park, and Town Hall meetings. The parent Community District Education Councils also came under her watch, but attendance at monthly meetings and participation on many councils remains low.
Her appointment to the job did not come without controversy and she has gotten mixed reviews from some parents and activists who charged that it was hard for her to advocate for parents when she was working as a DOE administrator. Now she will have the opportunity to wield influence in the mayor's office: previously she was a critic of some Bloomberg policies, while a member of the Panel for Educational Policy.
Any parent out there looking for a six-figure job? According to the press release, a new director "will be in place before the start of next school year."
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