Klein Quits as School Chief

After eight years, which marks the longest tenure ever, New York City Department of Education Chancellor Joel Klein has stepped down from his position. Under Klein’s leadership, graduation rates increased, crime in school decreased and the achievement gap between black and Hispanic students and their white and Asian counterparts was narrowed.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg appointed Cathleen Black, a savvy business leader who was the former president of Hearst Magazine and widely credited with building USA Today into an unprecedented success. She will become the first female Schools Chancellor.

“I want to thank Mayor Bloomberg for giving me the best job of my life and for being there every step of the way in the effort to improve education for our students,” said Klein. “Public schools in New York City changed my own life and it has been a rare privilege to serve the kids and families of this city during the past eight years. I am thrilled that the Mayor has selected Cathie Black, a distinguished leader, to move this work forward.”

“Joel Klein’s extraordinary service to the 1.1 million children and young adults who attend our public schools has secured him a place as a landmark, transformational civic leader in our City’s long history – but for some time now, I’ve known that he was ready to move on,” said Mayor Bloomberg.

“Cathie Black is a superstar manager who has succeeded spectacularly in the private sector. She is brilliant, she is innovative, she is driven – and there is virtually nobody who knows more about the needs of the 21st century workforce for which we need to prepare our kids,” he continued.

Black is thrilled to be appointed and is ready to continue Klein’s legacy.

“Our schools are vastly better than they were just eight years ago when the Mayor took office and Chancellor Klein joined his Administration,” said Black. “Their passion for improving the educational opportunities of our students has lifted the bar higher than anyone could ever have imagined, and my main goal will be to build on the work that has been accomplished during the Bloomberg Administration, and Chancellor Klein’s tenure.”