Photos by GothamSchools and Louise Docker

Mike’s on the road today, but he wanted to make sure Flypaper readers saw: Cathie Black is stepping down as chancellor of New York City schools, to be replaced by Deputy Mayor Dennis M. Walcott.

For those who don’t remember, Mike predicted a pre-Easter Black departure in his 7 for ’11 predictions back in December 2010:

1.      Cathie Black will be gone by Easter. A betting man might say that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg will stubbornly hold fast to his choice, but I foresee a breaking point a few months hence. It’ll go down like this: Her gaffes continue, she loses support even among middle-class Gotham parents, she botches the release of teacher effectiveness data, and she stumbles with the politics of budget-cutting. Worried about a mass exodus of the Department of Education’s senior staff, and sensing vulnerability on a marquee issue in his presidential run, Bloomberg finds an excuse to show her the door.

Black’s gaffs might not have been as egregious as Mike originally anticipated, but her loss of support, even among middle-class Gotham parents is sure. A poll given earlier this week tallied her approval rate at a scant 17 percent.

So, go ahead and gloat a bit Mike—and be sure to buy a lottery ticket today. (If you win, I expect lunch for the office.)

—Daniela Fairchild