Exclusive: NYC Schools Chancellor Fires Head Of Pupil Transportation Over Bus Mishaps

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) - The head of pupil transportation for New York City schools has been fired after a nightmarish string of bus mishaps marred the start of school.

At issue: No show school buses.

"It's been two weeks. They came once," parent Yanina Calabro told CBS2 Monday.

Multi-hour trips to school.

"Right now, my children will not get back on the bus," parent Maureen Cushing told CBS2 Sunday.

And a slipshod vetting process that allowed people with with criminal convictions to drive buses.

Schools Chancellor Richard Carranza was so fed up he canned the man responsible: Eric Goldstein, the deeply entrenched boss of pupil transportation.

Carranza told CBS2's Marcia Kramer exclusively "there are no sacred cows."

"Our charge is make sure we have a sense of urgency that parents are depending on us to get their children, their most prized possessions, picked up and delivered to school safely," Carranza said.

He chose a new "bus czar," Kevin Moran, who had been executive director of the DoE's field support services in Staten Island.

Carranza told Kramer he will meet with Moran daily, even more if need be, until the bus system is rolling properly.

"We're going to fix it. We're going to get it done very, very quick time, so parents have that assurance," he said.

Goldstein, who was the head of the office of school support services, also ran the school food unit. He lost that job too.

As CBS2 told you last year, Goldstein was responsible for serving pizza with what appear to be green mold and chicken containing pieces of metal and plastic.

Goldsteing is also reportedly under investigation by the Department of Investigation and the comptroller's office for his management of another of the Department of Education's units, school food. The probe is said to focus on trips around the world taken by a number of school food executives that were paid for by food manufacturers.

"Mr. Goldstein is no longer employed by the Department of Education," Carranza said. "We're actively searching for an executive director for our school food program, so there are a lot of changes."

Carranza's selection of Moran to fix the bus system was roundly applauded, Kramer reported. Staten Island Borough President Jimmy Oddo said if he was forming a commando team to end bureaucratic dysfunction, Moran would be on it.

His salary will be $181,000.