As Chancellor Carmen Fariña prepares to step down from running the nation’s largest school system, many New York City voters won’t be sad to see her go, according to a new Quinnipiac poll released Thursday.
In all, 38 percent of those polled said Fariña’s four years as chancellor were “mainly” a failure, while 34 percent considered her tenure a success.
By comparison, 46 percent of voters considered Joel Klein’s eight-year run a success, according to a poll released weeks after he stepped down in 2010. Fariña was more popular among educators than Klein, whose policies frequently targeted them, but she was far less visible to New Yorkers, preferring to focus her energy internally at the education department.
A similar poll released last October found that 44 percent of likely voters approved of Fariña’s handling of the city’s schools, while 32 percent disapproved.
The final numbers come just days before Fariña is set to retire (for a second time) and be replaced by Richard Carranza, who is stepping down as Houston’s schools chief.
Many voters haven’t yet formed an opinion about Carranza, according to the poll. One-third said they approve of Mayor Bill de Blasio’s choice, while 23 percent disapprove. But 43 percent still aren’t sure, or didn’t answer.