Eric (Chaz) Chasanoff died of COVID-19 at the age of 69. He was a greatly admired high school teacher and blogger. He started his blog “Chaz’s School Daze” in 2006 in response to the oppressive policies of the Bloomberg-Klein regime. He was an inspiration to other teachers and bloggers, including me.
The UFT honored him as a teacher and a fearless activist.
This was his assessment of the legacy of Joel Klein.
Here are his prescient thoughts on the failure of de Blasio’s chancellor to clean house and get rid of the Klein hires.
Here he is on Bloomberg’s failed policies.
He wrote this post a few weeks before he died.
I urge you to browse his blog. His was a strong, fearless, independent voice. He will be missed.
Sadly, with condolences to his family, friends and former colleagues, I add Chaz Chasanoff to this blog’s honor roll. A teacher who loved teaching, a fearless and relentless advocate for students and teachers. A teacher who spoke truth to power. A man of principle.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Reblogged this on Mark's Text Terminal.
Thank you for highlighting Chaz. I worked with him for a year, and knew him for many more. His loss really hurts us.
Farewell to this dedicated teacher: his premature departure impoverishes the students of New York City and the world as a whole.
My deepest condolences to his family.
It is both inspiring and frustrating to read these posts. Inspiring because he spoke with such a clear voice. Frustrating that I knew nothing about him while he was alive. Thanks for sharing.
You would have liked, him Greg, He was a fearless advocate, yet was always respectful about everyone’s diverse POV on how to solve problems.
I reread the posts Diane cited this evening once again. I have the feeling of reading biographies of people in history I would have loved to have met; he seemed to know exactly who he was and was completely comfortable with himself, something so rare anytime, anywhere. The definition of authenticity.
Yes, Greg. That’s one of many things he was known for.
I and countless others also especially respected him for the fact that he never would think of doling out any ad hominem attacks against allies or anyone who did not agree exactingly with his POV. I personally learned so much from that!
He was also a fearless advocate, attending people’s hearings when they were falsely accused of seeming, just so that the leadership could excess more established teachers from their operating budget.
His death struck home with me and my wife. It really did.
Thanks Diane. I was one of Eric’s colleagues at Jamaica High School as well as being a fellow blogger. Marc Epstein, J Bryan McGeever and Chaz all came from Jamaica HS. We were not afraid to tell truth to power. That could be why Joel Klein hated us so much.
Wear that hatred as a badge of honor. Everything he touches dies.
Then he should touch himself . . . .