Pittsburgh Public Schools Superintendent Mark Roosevelt yesterday said he's pleased with the work he and his staff have done the past three school years -- and he said staying here for three more is a "distinct possibility."

Mr. Roosevelt made the remarks during an interview on his goals for the fourth year of his administration. The school board met Monday and meets again tomorrow to discuss his performance for the past school year and to consider his goals for 2008-09.

Asked whether he's happy in Pittsburgh, where he's won praise and criticism for sweeping changes, Mr. Roosevelt laughed and said, "I'm very happy with what we've accomplished. I'm not nearly that happy with the atmosphere under which a lot of it has had to be done."

Mr. Roosevelt occasionally has complained about pessimism and a resistance to change in Pittsburgh. Without mentioning names, Mr. Roosevelt yesterday also complained about people with "political agendas" that have nothing to do with the best interests of students.

From time to time, most recently during a vacation this month, Mr. Roosevelt has been rumored to be job-hunting in other cities. He has brushed aside the rumors.

The board originally hired Mr. Roosevelt on a three-year contract that would have expired next month. The parties later agreed on a three-year extension to 2010-11, but he's still free to leave at any time.

Asked whether he'd stay in Pittsburgh through the end of his contract in 2010-11, he said, "I think that's a distinct possibility."

The board likely will vote next month on increasing Mr. Roosevelt's pay from $195,000 to $210,000. Under his contract extension, Mr. Roosevelt is entitled to the $15,000 increase if board members are satisfied with his work.

Board member Theresa Colaizzi said she was more than pleased with Mr. Roosevelt, citing improved test scores he announced Thursday.

Mr. Roosevelt has said the district made both financial and academic strides under his leadership. The district is still working to put its finances in order, however, and the test gains likely won't be enough to keep the district from missing federal achievement benchmarks for the sixth year in a row.

In a July 21 memo to the board, Mr. Roosevelt said he wanted to spend his fourth year fine-tuning existing improvement efforts.

He also said he wanted to step up marketing in an effort to counter years of enrollment decline, work on an overhaul of magnet programs, evaluate the performance of the accelerated learning academies and consider the possibility of extending incentive pay, now available to principals, to other school staff.

Mr. Roosevelt said he considered the memo a confidential rough draft of his plans and was "dismayed" that a reporter had obtained a copy. He and the board jointly set the goals.

In the interview, he said the district should try to combat enrollment decline by capitalizing on the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program, new schools, a planned overhaul of magnet programs and academic gains.

"It's just putting it all together and figuring out how to communicate that," he said.

Mr. Roosevelt praised the academies' test scores Thursday. But he said 2008-09 -- their third year of operation -- is an appropriate time to ask such questions as: "Should they all look the same going forward?"

In his memo, he said he wanted to "identify what has worked in the curriculum and partnership with America's Choice and what needs improvement." He also cited a desire to "examine expanded learning time for benefits and potential adjustments."

America's Choice is a package of curriculum offerings and teaching strategies used in the academies. The schools have an extended school day and school year, something popular with some parents and unpopular with others.