Bill De Blasio Vows To Have Chancellor In Place By 2015 - 2016 At The Latest

Citing concerns from students, parents, teachers, administrators and education bloggers over his failure to announce a chancellor to replace Dennis Walcott at the helm of the NYCDOE, Bill de Blasio stepped away from having brunch with family and friends at a diner in Park Slope to offer a brief statement.

De Blasio was 25 minutes late to his statement, getting caught up at the mint bowl by the cash register before finally making it to the assembled journalists waiting outside the restaurant for brief press conference without questions.

Here is De Blasio's statement in full:

I know some New Yorkers have expressed concern that I have made very few appointments to my administration as of yet.  By this time in their transition periods, Mayor Bloomberg had made 12 appointments, Mayor Giuliani 25 and Mayor Dinkins 17.  I, by contrast, have made just 9 appointments.  And only 6 of those are high level appointments.  I know that some have expressed concern that we are four days away from the resumption of school in New York City, but I have yet to announce a new chancellor to replace the outgoing Dennis Walcott.  I just want to assure all New Yorkers that I am carefully considering all options for chancellor, am still taking names for the short list and will continue to seriously interview serious candidates for a seriously hard job in the very near future. I can assure New Yorkers that I will be making a serious announcement about my chancellor pick in a very short period of time and I vow that this person will be up and running the New York City Department of Education by 2015 or 2016 at the latest.  And now if you'll excuse me, I have to go back inside and finish off brunch.  God bless New York City.

Mayor-Elect De Blasio's spokesperson told reporters that Mayor-Elect De Blasio would have no other public appearances until January 1, the day he is to be inaugurated at City Hall, unless you count his yoga class at the Yoga Works on Seventh Avenue and his monthly shift stocking dried mango at the Park Slope Co-Op.