Joseph A. Fernandez

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. Neil A. Lewis (September 21, 1989). "Man in the News: Joseph Anthony Fernandez; From Dropout to Chancellor". The New York Times.
  2. Sam Dillon (February 11, 1993). "Board Removes Fernandez As New York Schools Chief After Stormy 3-year Term". The New York Times.
  3. 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. 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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