Joseph Anthony Fernandez[1] was the Chancellor of the New York City Board of Education, "the nation's largest school,"[2] 1990–1993. [3]

Early life and education

Fernandez was born in Harlem, grew up there, joined the U.S. Air Force, and "earned a high school equivalency diploma;" he then went to Columbia University.[4] Before graduating, he and his wife moved to Florida to alleviate a son's health problem. Fernandez transferred to and graduated from University of Miami.[1]

Career

Florida

Fernandez began his teaching career in 1963 in Florida.

He eventually reached "superintendent of schools in Miami"[4] ("head of the schools in Dade County, Florida"[3]), a position he held for two years[5] prior to coming to New York City.

New York City

Fernandez had a "stormy three-and-a-half-year tenure as one of the highest-paid school officials in the country."[3] Fernandez's support of the 1991 Rainbow Curriculum[6] for first grade multicultural education, and his support of AIDS education in public schools, were controversies that led to his contract not being renewed in 1993.[7] His successor was the city's "sixth schools chancellor in a decade."[2]

His suspending of an entire school board in Queens was reversed by the city's Board of Education.[8]

Back to Florida

Following the end of his position in New York City, Fernandez and his wife moved back to Florida.[3]

Personal

Fernandez is "a native New Yorker" who spent "a quarter of a century in Miami." His wife's name is Lily; they have four children.[4] The son with the health problem benefited from the move to Florida.[1]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Neil A. Lewis (September 21, 1989). "Man in the News: Joseph Anthony Fernandez; From Dropout to Chancellor". The New York Times.
  2. 1 2 Sam Dillon (February 11, 1993). "Board Removes Fernandez As New York Schools Chief After Stormy 3-year Term". The New York Times.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Josh Barbanel (June 30, 1993). "Legacy of a Schools Chancellor; Fernandez's Changes May Not Live On After His Departure". The New York Times.
  4. 1 2 3 James Traub (June 17, 1990). "Fernandez Takes charge". The New York Times.
  5. ↑ Felicia R. Lee (September 25, 1989). "New Schools Chief: An Innovator and Taker of Risks". The New York Times.
  6. ↑ New York City Public Schools (1991). "Children of the Rainbow: First Grade" (PDF). LaGuardia & Wagner Archives.
  7. ↑ LaGuardia & Wagner Archives (2022). "First Grade Culture Wars: The Children of the Rainbow Curriculum Controversy of 1992". www.laguardiawagnerarchive.lagcc.cuny.edu. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
  8. ↑ Steven Lee Myers (December 13, 1992). "How a 'Rainbow Curriculum' Turned Into Fighting Words". The New York Times. Heather Has Two Mommies


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