Outgoing NYC Chancellor Joel Klein Discusses Leaving, Education Reform (VIDEO)

Joel Klein sat down with Steve Perry Friday to discuss two controversial topics: Education reform, and the announcement Tuesday that he is stepping down as New York City schools chancellor, a position he's held since 2002.

Klein, who is leaving to become an executive vice president at News Corporation, will be replaced by Hearst Magazines chairwoman Cathie Black.

WATCH:

Comments

[mlaiuppa]

03:22 PM on 11/14/2010

And Cathie Black knows what about education? Aside from having attended a school and possibly slept at a Holiday Inn?

Does anyone else notice how long these chancellors and superintendents spend on any one job? There was a time when a superintendent would be 20 years or more in a district, leaving only to retire. Now they job hop all over the country, spending only a few years here or there, leaving for more money and more prestige or for reasons of ambition; political appointments. And many have NO educational background or experience in the classroom. What makes them qualified to lead teachers?

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

12:43 PM on 11/13/2010

Last, as to "technology."

Fine.

BUT....

a) Klein has consistently used technology and faux-data to laud his and Bloomberg's performance while SIMULTANEOUSLY using it to bash teachers. Quite a coup.

b) Look up the performance of one of Klein's pet technology schools. (Partial report - only inaugural year of data.)
Nothing to crow about, only 50% of the kids are "proficient" at basic math:
http://schools.nyc.gov/OA/SchoolReports/2009-10/Progress_Report_2010_EMS_M422.pdf

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

12:30 PM on 11/13/2010

"We've got to 'professionalize' teaching."

And yet... his favorite model is Teach for America -- a PEACE CORPS model, not a PROFESSIONAL model.

Do your public service, and out.

Attack tenure. Attack teachers who ARE "professional."

Hypocrite.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

12:28 PM on 11/13/2010

What he doesn't say about charter schools?

Massive colocation drama -- to the detriment of the schools into which he has injected charters.

Comparable -- not better -- results to the non-charters.

There are over 1 million kids in NYC schools. 40,000 -- the number he has said are waiting to get into charters -- is but FOUR PERCENT. The other NINETY SIX PERCENT?

They say, "Good riddance."

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

12:24 PM on 11/13/2010

And don't get me started on his high school graduation rates.

Between "credit recovery" and the huge number of HIS graduates in remedial classes, he should be held to task for his lousy record, and not allowed to continue to decry the outcome as if he hadn't been THE responsible party for eight years.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

12:22 PM on 11/13/2010

Klein speaks of a system that "tolerated massive inequities."

And yet... he redirected massive amounts of state funding AWAY from its earmarked purpose: to address those inequities. Instead, and over objections not only of parents but the state itself at one point, he took class size reduction money to balance the operating budget while class size (and student-teacher ratio as well) went UP at DOZENS of schools.

The man is a fraud, an unrepentant propagandist. His spin doctoring will be well-suited to NewsCorp.

[Neaguy]

12:34 AM on 11/13/2010

How would he know what reform is?