N.Y.C. Chancellor Asks for Time To Fix Schools

By Catherine Gewertz

The man heading the New York City schools is quick to admit that he knows case law better than he knows school management. But he has a bold proposal to make nonetheless: If you give me some time, I will turn around the biggest school system in the country.

Chancellor Joel I. Klein delivered that message last week to a select group of education leaders at a luncheon sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. The attendees, a who's who of philanthropy, academia, precollegiate education, and business, were so distinguished that Mr. Klein, a former head of the U.S. Department of Justice's antitrust division and corporate executive, confessed within minutes that his lack of education background made him nervous.

Knowing he was not "steeped" in education made assembling a top- notch team of aides of the utmost importance, said Mr. Klein, who was handpicked for the job by...