Sex-Tip App? New Schools Chief Promotes It (NYC)

When he announced that Cathleen P. Black, the chairwoman of Hearst Magazines, would become the next chancellor of New York City’s schools, Mayor Michael Bloomberg touted Ms. Black as uniquely qualified for the role.

“There is virtually nobody who knows more about the needs of the 21st century workforce for which we need to prepare our kids,” the mayor said.

It seems that Ms. Black also knows a thing or two about an altogether different kind of need.

In an Aug. 10, 2010, segment of the Diane Rehm radio show entitled “The Future of Magazines,” Ms. Black plugged Cosmopolitan Magazine’s latest iPhone App: the Sex Tip of the Day.
“Are you going to charge for that sex tip of the day?” the host, Frank Sesno, asked.
“Yeah, $2.99,” Ms. Black replied, as the host and other guests erupted into giggles. “$2.99,” she repeated. “Cheaper than a hooker,” she continued, before adding, “I didn’t say that, did I?”

more . . . http://ednotesonline.blogspot.com/

She was promoting something from Cosmopolitan magazine, where such an app would be appropriate. I'm not sure what you're implying.

who will be in charge of NYC schools. Word is out she is there to downsize.

Just look at any education blog if you really care if educators lead schools.

that she promoted a sex tips app for one of the magazines in the group - a magazine for adults - is not a valid criticism. Opponents of her appointment should go with what's valid, and they make a genuine point. If they go with silly things that are irrelevant, they you make no point at all, except that they're looking for petty stuff.

Do you see my point? I think that everyone involved in education management should be professional educators. So, you see, I'm not in favor of this woman taking that job. That's argument enough, I believe.

And s/he probably wouldn't be hired.

the publisher of any national magazine. The bottom line is that there's nothing wrong with distributing sexuality information to adults. It's a whole industry. Have you ever seen a copy of Cosmo? Sex tips are a regular feature of that publication. So, it's quite natural that the head of the publishing group that includes that publication might be promoting such an app.

Again, it's irrelevant. Her lack of experience in the field is not irrelevant. You decrease the solidity of your argument with this petty crap.

sell phone sex. she knows nothing about education.

It's a useless point. She doesn't have the experience. There's your issue. It should be the only one you need. This one is just plain silly.

Adults have sex. One of the magazines in the Hearst group publishes tips for having better sex. That magazine has a cell phone app. You know what apps are, right? It's not phone sex, for pete's sake.

not someone who should be running a school district.

i didn't notice you defending teachers when they were repeatedly attacked unfairly, with actual lies.

i'm sure cathy black appreciates your solicitude for her well-being.

this is just a convenient piece of poo to fling in a much larger, totally unrelated battle.

Or am I wrong?

information they can use to disqualify her for the position. This is just, as you say, poo-flinging that's irrelevant to the issue. Completely irrelevant. I guess the lack of experience argument isn't working so well, so they're trying to stir up some sort of dirt. How sad.

involved in education should have professional training in that field. I do not. Therefore, I don't spend much time in education discussions. I don't think I'm competent to discuss the details of those questions, since I'm not an educator, despite having taught at the college level while in graduate school.

I'm always interested in the educational education and experience of anyone discussing education issues. I pay much more attention to those who have professional education degrees and experience than I do people who are not in the field at all. That just makes sense, don't you think?

My post in this thread has nothing to do with this woman's qualifications for the job. She has none, so I don't believe she's a good choice for the position. That she is involved with a product related to one of the magazines in the company she heads is irrelevant. It is a legal product, a legal magazine, and a legal business. She still does not have any educational experience. That's an actual issue. This silliness is not an actual issue and diminishes your argument.

I find it hypocritical that a candidate for a leadership position - and not just any position, but the one heading the nation's largest school district - is given a pass for promoting a sex app for a phone. You can bet your ass if she was applying for a teaching position in this same district this sex app story would be enough to exclude her from being hired.

Here in my state, teachers applying to small rural districts are often not hired because they belong to the wrong church. A friend of mine from college was disciplined and threatened with termination for buying beer and bringing it home to the dry county where she taught. Another friend had to hire a lawyer to keep from losing her teaching job because she worked in the evenings in a restaurant where they served alcohol. Many school districts refuse to hire any teachers who have tattoos. Examining personal morals is very common in the teaching profession. We can all tell you stories along these lines.

That is the point. This is an obvious double standard. Yes her inexperience is bad enough, but this other aspect should doom her candidacy. It probably won't and that's why the teachers here are outraged.

I guess it depends on what kind of workforce she has in mind.

Everyone in any way associated with education in this country must be completely sexless and genital-less, (think Barbie and Ken) as well as humorless. NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even if the teacher weren't involved, given the choice of someone who'd had this history and one who didn't, a school is going to play it safe.

We have to be so careful of appearances, propriety, and boundaries. No facebook friending of students (or even colleagues!), no myspace, no rides home, door open during tutoring sessions - all to avoid charges of impropriety.

So why does the chancellor presumptive get a free pass? Doesn't make sense. Or are the rules different for the bosses?

That one of those magazines, aimed at adults often discussions sexuality, a subject of interest to most adults? That she was publicizing a new product connected with that publication?

What is it, exactly that you're talking about. Sex is an adult activity. The magazine in question that her company publishes are magazines aimed at an adult audience. How does this have anything to do with schools?

This is a huge deal.

don't understand it.

It might not be right but it's the way it is.

I don't say or do anything I wouldn't want to see in a local newspaper with my name attached.

but I guarantee you that in a fairly large number of districts my being gay would be cause for me not to be hired as a teacher. In a far larger number if I went around promoting Grinder, I surely wouldn't be hired. This really does seem to be a bit of a double standard from my position.