New York City public schools have chosen a household name as the interim chief education official to lead the system, the Daily News has learned.
The newest vice chancellor, Danika Rux, will replace Desmond Blackburn, who, among other responsibilities, oversaw local superintendents as they were granted more independence over their respective school districts.
The school system will still conduct a formal search for Blackburn’s permanent replacement, education spokesman Nathaniel Styer confirmed.
Her appointment was made public Tuesday at an agency’s women’s history month celebration, according to three sources.
The position is also tasked with holding district chiefs accountable, including through “Hot seat” meetings where superintendents are questioned about their performance..
Most recently, Rux served as the system’s head of school support under Blackburn, after her previous position as executive superintendent was eliminated as part of a bureaucratic structure review. Prior to that, she served as the superintendent of Harlem School District 5 for four years.
Rux’s first job in the city’s public schools was as an elementary school teacher in 1994, according to her LinkedIn profile.
Blackburn, whose position was created for him by schools chancellor David Banks, resigned after a year earlier this month to lead the nonprofit educational organization Facing History and Ourselves, which provides curriculum and resources on racism and antisemitism.
The former vice chancellor oversaw a major bureaucratic shakeup that sent all 45 district superintendents running again for their jobs.
