The city school board is making the right play in trying to negotiate a longer commitment by Superintendent Mark Roosevelt.

Mr. Roosevelt was hired to lead the Pittsburgh Public Schools in the summer of 2005, at a time when the district had too many school buildings and too little money in its bank accounts. A former Massachusetts state legislator, he came with no experience as a teacher, principal or superintendent and scant day-to-day management experience.

Since then, Mr. Roosevelt has proven that his unusual resume was a bonus and not a liability. Teaming up with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl, he launched the Pittsburgh Promise scholarship program aimed at keeping middle-class families in the city and its schools. The Gates Foundation has signaled a willingness to help fund the district's teacher-effectiveness programs. For the first time, the district met federal achievement standards. And last week he shared the stage at the district's Pittsburgh Creative and Performing Arts School with first lady Michelle Obama in a program that showcased the school's programs and performers.

Each year, Mr. Roosevelt has met the goals established by the school board to evaluate his performance, and his starting salary of $165,000 has increased with annual raises of $15,000 to the current $225,000. The board gave him a three-year extension on his initial three-year contract, which runs out in August 2011.

Because state law limits the contract for a Pittsburgh superintendent to six years, the school board can't extend this one. The board is considering a loophole in which Mr. Roosevelt could resign with the stipulation that he immediately be reinstated under a new contract.

As long his performance would be subject to annual reviews, there doesn't seem to be a down side to signing a longer-term deal with Mr. Roosevelt. Although no contract can hold someone who wants to leave, there is no indication that is his intention, and a solid agreement with the district might hold off potential suitors, including private educational ventures with a lot of money to spend.

As the Post-Gazette's Joe Smydo reported Monday, the average tenure of a big-city district in 2008 was just 3.5 years. The well-run Pittsburgh Steelers traditionally try to sign their coach to an extension when he has two years left on a contract.

With less than two years left on Mr. Roosevelt's contract, this could be the right time to make a deal. Pittsburgh Public Schools still have a lot of room for improvement, especially as black and poor students continue to trail their white and affluent classmates, but Mr. Roosevelt has assembled an effective team that can keep moving the district forward.

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