Cuomo watch: Education post filled

Just days after students returned to classrooms, and just days after some homeowners opened their school-tax bills, Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo named his point man on education. Cuomo tapped David Wakelyn as deputy secretary for education, filling one of his last policy posts. Wakelyn has been in that field for years, most recently at the National Governors' Association, where he focused on implementing standards and trying to improve low-performing schools. Wakelyn is an outsider, unlike many old Cuomo hands playing key administration roles. His resume seems to fit the money-isn't-the-answer mantra Cuomo seeks to impose on schools. The state Board of Regents controls education policy in New York. But a governor can try to influence schools through funding decisions. -- Yancey Roy