Posted on 10/02/2002 3:15:50 PM PDT by Tumbleweed_Connection
Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, whose own children attend a private school, is now the CEO of a new New York City department, the Office for Strategic Partnerships, and will become the City's top fund raiser for the school system.
The daughter of the late President John F. Kennedy was appointed to the post yesterday by Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein to serve as chief fund-raiser for New York City schools. Klein said he hopes she will increase donations from the private sector and strengthen partnerships between the business community and the vast, cash-strapped $12 billion a year school system, according to the New York Times.
Mrs. Schlossberg will work out of the oddly named Tweed Courthouse, now the new school system headquarters. The Times says she put in three days a week until next year, when Mr. Klein said she would take on the job full time. He said she will be paid $1 for the rest of the year. Her salary will be renegotiated in January.
"As I live and work here in New York, I am always meeting people who care about this city and its future and about education," said Mrs. Schlossberg who the Times wrote stood quietly behind Mr. Klein and had to be encouraged to speak into the microphones. "The schools need their energy and commitment, and I believe I can help channel those efforts to benefit all the children of New York."
According to the Times, the NYC school system has a huge $12 billion annual budget and 1.1 million students. In addition, by one estimate it takes in well over $100 million a year in donations. Klein said he hoped Mrs. Schlossberg, who the paper in a valiant effort to be politically correct kept referring to as Ms. Kennedy, will be able to boost that sum substantially.
Klein also said that he wants Mrs. Schlossberg to keep a careful eye on philanthropic efforts, which have been poorly coordinated and scattered somewhat randomly through the city.
In addition Mrs. Schlossberg, in her new capacity as a City official will be in charge of several other programs within the Department of Education in addition to fund-raising. She'll be head of the office of the special adviser for the arts and volunteer efforts such as tutoring and mentoring.
"Right now we are fortunate enough to have 1,000 points of light," Mr. Klein said "Our job is to turn that into a laser beam."
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