Schools chancellor Joel Klein yesterday named a 40-year veteran educator to replace his top aide, Diana Lam, who was ousted in a nepotism scandal.
Carmen Farina, superintendent of Brooklyn’s Region 8, was named acting deputy chancellor for teaching and learning.
Before becoming a superintendent, she was a principal at PS 6 on the Upper East Side, one of the city’s highest performing schools.
Farina, well regarded within the school system, said she supported the controversial curriculum implemented by Klein and Lam “150 percent.”
She also backs the new policy to hold back third-grade students who do poorly on standardized reading and math exams.
Klein’s first choice to replace Lam, policy adviser Michele Cahill, was rejected by state officials because she doesn’t have an education degree.
Klein, a businessman and lawyer, got a waiver to become chancellor, but Albany said the law provides no exception for other positions.
Meanwhile, Mayor Bloomberg gave the beleaguered chancellor a vote of confidence yesterday, hoping to put an end to the nepotism scandal.
“[Klein] is standing with me and he’s going to be standing right with me for the next six years. Make no mistake about that,” Bloomberg said.
The mayor was instrumental in getting rid of Lam, who was accused of using her clout to get two department jobs for her husband, Peter Plattes, without clearance from the City Conflicts of Interest Board.
Klein’s legal counsel, Chad Vignola, was forced to resign after a report by schools investigator Richard Condon found he attempted to cover up the scandal by referring to Plattes as a volunteer, not an employee.