Thursday, 4:30 PM
Rivera, once Boston's next superintendent, gets gov.'s welcome in NY
By Tracy Jan, Globe Staff
ALBANY, N.Y. -- New York Governor Eliot Spitzer today trotted out Manuel J. Rivera, the man who suddenly withdrew as Boston's incoming superintendent, as the state's new deputy secretary for education.
Rivera, now the Rochester, N.Y., schools superintendent, will act as the governor's top education adviser in a newly created state position, Spitzer said. Rivera will work on developing policy for higher education and the state's public schools.
"We cannot be more thrilled," said Spitzer, with Rivera standing next to him in the state Capitol's Blue Room. "Having Manny Rivera here today is so important to me and the parents and students of New York."
Rivera, who would have earned a nearly $300,000 base salary as Boston's school superintendent, will earn considerably less working for Spitzer -- $169,000 -- in Albany, a city with a much lower cost of living. He was making $212,960 in Rochester.
Rivera's decision last week to not take the Boston job stunned Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino and community members.
At first, Rivera said nothing about his decision to back out of the Boston job. However, his confidantes told the Globe that Rivera was not taking the position for numerous reasons, including Spitzer's job offer, problems in contract talks with Boston, and a concern that School Committee Chairwoman Elizabeth Reilinger would take too big a role in school operations.
On Saturday, Rivera said Reilinger was not a major factor in his decision.
At today's news conference in Albany, Rivera said that Spitzer had first mentioned the possibility of his playing a key role in leading his education agenda about two to three weeks ago.
"I couldn't say no," Rivera said.
A spokesperson for Spitzer said Rivera would start work on Feb. 12, and Rochester school system would work out a transition for Rivera to segue from his job as superintendent into the state role.
New York state already has both an education commissioner and a chancellor of its state university system. Rivera will not oversee them directly, but rather will play a policy-making role for the governor.
Spitzer had tapped Rivera to serve as a co-chair of an advisory team on education after his election last November.
Rivera was Boston's choice for school superintendent after a months-long search. He had accepted the job last September, but negotiations over his contract with the city did not begin until early this year.
