NY CITY Education Reform

An Interview with Joel I. Klein, Chancellor, New York City Department of Education

EDITORS’ NOTE Joel Klein was there are enormously powerful Have you been happy with the impact Chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann, interests that are resistant to change, that many of your initiatives have had, and Inc. prior to assuming his current and that is always diffi cult where you do the metrics show that they are meeting post in July 2002, as well as Chief have a system with entrenched in- your expectations? U.S. Liaison Offi cer to Bertelsmann terests. For example, throughout the over the past eight years under the mayor’s AG. From 1996 to 2001, he served u.s. today, we pay math teachers the leadership, we have made signifi cant progress as Assistant Attorney General in same thing we pay physical education in terms of scores on the national and state tests, charge of the U.S. Department of teachers, and as a result, we are always and our graduation rates have gone up substan- Justice’s Antitrust Division. This ap- short math teachers. when we’re short tially. we also have 50 percent more kids going pointment came after Klein had math teachers, we end up being short to the city university schools now than when served two years as Deputy Counsel in our highest needs communities. so we started. to President Bill Clinton, a position the kids with the greatest needs are but i don’t want to suggest we’re remotely that followed 20 years of public and Joel I. Klein getting people teaching math who are where we need to be. we’re going to have to private legal work in Washington, not qualifi ed to do so. when that hap- see tough changes, like giving parents much D.C. Klein has been active in numerous com- pens, it’s very hard to succeed. but under every more choice like we’re doing throughout our munity organizations, including Big Brothers labor contract i’m aware of, it’s all lockstep pay. high-poverty communities. Big Sisters of America, the Green Door, and the it’s those things and the political resistance to affl uent and middle-class families have World Federation for Mental Health. He has change that hurt us. choice for their children in public education; served as a visiting and adjunct professor at another example is that new york city, poor people don’t, and as a result, they are the Georgetown University Law Center and has like other cities in the u.s., is looking at layoffs. forced to take the only school they’re offered. published several articles in both scholarly and in the private sector, no one would only under- with zero competitive pressure or choice for popular journals. He is a graduate of Columbia take layoffs based on last person in, fi rst person people, the system ends up being non-respon- College and Harvard Law School. out. they would look across their workforce sive. the mayor has opened up more than 100 and maximize the excellence of their workforce. charter schools so parents now have many ORGANIZATION BRIEF The New York City yet, when we have to do layoffs next year, we more choices. Department of Education (schools.nyc.gov) is will have to do them last in, fi rst out. these are i’m comfortable we have made real the largest school system in the United States, antiquated rules protected by large union forces progress, but the demands of the 21st cen- with approximately 135,000 educators and that undermine a system built on merit and suc- tury, in terms of the skills and knowledge other employees serving more than one million cess – a system that will reward excellence. our kids are going to need, put greater de- students in more than 1,600 separate schools the president is advocating signifi cant re- mands on a system that is already playing throughout the fi ve boroughs of New York. forms, and it is turning around. so we are seeing catch up. a professionalization of K through 12 education, New York City has a robust business How much of an impact has the economic but the resistance is enormous and the political community that is engaged in many issues, crisis had on the initiatives for the educa- push-back is very strong. including education. Does the private sector tion system in New York City? As you look at other major cities, how play an important role in regard to reform? we have taken cuts over the past several important is it for the Mayor to have con- yes. the private sector has an invest- years. we have lost some teachers to attri- trol over the system as he does in New York ment – the future of the city and the nation tion and cut some programs, all of which City? depends on our education system. so the pri- we need. having mayoral control rather than school vate sector in new york has been incredibly but while we’ve made some cuts, i don’t board control is necessary but not suffi cient, be- supportive. think we’ve yet cut into the muscle of the orga- cause you need a mayor willing to take on the in philanthropic, business, and other dol- nization. i worry that we may, if this economy tough political challenges. a school board, by lars, we have probably raised close to $500 mil- doesn’t turn around, and given the challenges defi nition, because the power is distributed, is lion over the course of the past eight years. i the state and local governments face. not going to be able to take these things on. view that money as our research and develop- but i continue to believe that the biggest so we need bold, tough leadership, and ment fund, or our venture money, to give us challenge in education is not simply to invest you’re seeing more of it in the u.s. top lead- the opportunity to do innovative, creative, and more but to invest wisely. and in america, ers understand that systems based on merit and dynamic things like the school of one that we we have not invested wisely in K through 12 excellence succeed. systems that reward inno- created, which changes how instruction is de- education. vation and performance succeed. systems that livered to kids – it won one of Time magazine’s Many business leaders discuss their ef- are built on things like lockstep pay, life tenure, 100 best inventions. forts to reform the system since they be- and seniority where you get paid more simply we’ve been able to be creative and inno- lieve K through 12 isn’t working. Why has for sticking around longer, are systems that ul- vative because we’ve received private support. there not been more impact broadly in the timately are not going to match up in the 21st we’ve also been able to try things that a lot of United States? century competitive environment. school districts could not have tried.• 34 Leaders posted with permission. copyright © 2010 magazine, inc. volume 33, number 4