Statement by Vartan Gregorian about Michele Cahill

Michele Cahill will be leaving Carnegie Corporation of New York to join the New York City school system. Chancellor Joel Klein has asked Cahill to become the Senior Counselor for Education Policy.

Cahill is a leader in innovative education who believes passionately in the ability of every child to perform at high levels. In her brief three years at the Corporation she has designed and implemented an ambitious national program to redesign America’s inner city high schools that won recognition and attention from educators, urban leaders and scholars. Under her leadership, other foundations, youth development organizations and higher education have been mobilized to create a movement for national reform of the American large urban high school.

Cahill’s imprint on our work at the Corporation will continue for many years, and although we are saddened to lose her as a leader here, we know her work in the New York City system will ensure the success of the New Century High Schools project launched by the Corporation, the Open Society Institute and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2001.

We are most proud that Chancellor Klein has selected such a proven educational leader to join his cabinet. We are certain he has found the perfect New Yorker, with deep city roots and national experience, who can reconcile the myriad needs, causes, interests and expectations of the city’s leaders, teachers, parents and students.

We expect to announce shortly plans for continuity in our commitment to urban school reform. We wish Cahill hearty congratulations.