Chancellor Klein Reviews His First Year
by Sybil Maimin

Making a return visit to an issues forum at the Community Service Society of New York after a year on the front lines as Schools Chancellor, a still optimistic and determined Joel Klein reported on the progress he has made. “It has been a long and exciting year in many ways, but,” he cautioned, “even though public education is the single most important domestic issue, we, as a society, don’t take it seriously.” Two facts, in particular, trouble him: people can opt out of public education if dissatisfied, lessening the policy traction that would result “if we were all tied to this together,” and everybody knows “there is a crisis in education” but there has been little change because education is “not a culture built on performance.” Nevertheless, the first year has been a good one, he believes, because the culture is starting to change.

He described dividing the city into ten regions with an intense focus on instruction. A rigorous core curriculum is being implemented with the help of in-school coaches, and “unprecedented” resources and data-driven soft assessment systems are being devoted to professional development. Chancellor Klein believes effective principals are key to successful schools and 50 million dollars is being invested in a leadership academy and intense training of principals, especially for roles in the toughest schools. A new initiative with major funding brings a parent coordinator into every school. Still “a work in progress,” parent coordinators will, ideally, provide helpful alignments between parents, teachers, and principals. With funds from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, very big high schools are being broken up into smaller, specialty schools. Middle schools continue to be a challenge and much thought is being put into their reconfiguration.

Teacher recruitment and retention are very much on the chancellor’s mind; he seems willing to take on the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) in his efforts to change the culture. “Schools need to run on trust, not a contract system where grievances dominate,” he explains. He meets with UFT president Randi Weingarten “all the time” for “open and candid dialogues.” In labor-management relations, “There are natural areas of alignment and disagreement. Just make sure disagreements don’t become disagreeable, and look at issues of mutual interest.” He would like to see veteran teachers assigned to the most difficult schools and believes the current practice of placing new teachers in the most challenging situations is “not sensible.” We must show greater appreciation for our teachers, he advises, and excellent teachers should receive financial rewards.

Regarding the Fiscal Equity Campaign and Governor Pataki’s reluctance to comply with the State Supreme Court decision that would give a fairer share of state education funds to New York City, Chancellor Klein stated, “The court is clear. We need a compensatory remedy, not more commissions. I would like to see a political solution.” When asked if Mayor Bloomberg is willing to make this an issue, Klein replied, “You’ve just heard it from the mayor’s chancellor.”

The Community Service Society is a 150-year-old independent, non-profit organization devoted to helping New York’s poor and strengthening communities. It provides direct services, creates model programs, and influences public policy. Efrat Abrams, former chair of the Society’s education committee and a keen observer of the city’s education scene, liked what she heard from the chancellor. “He is listening, he is thinking, he is getting his priorities right. He is trying to make it work,” she said approvingly.#

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