Baltimore schools CEO Andres Alonso is setting a fast pace for reform. Barely nine months on the job, he's pushing a number of significant changes, including more collaboration between principals and teachers, a new middle-high school model and yet another configuration of decentralization from headquarters to individual schools - all in an effort to refocus the system on students and what goes on in classrooms.

Even with a four-year contract, Mr. Alonso is well aware that momentum for reform can be fleeting, and he is wisely striking early and often. He expects to see some positive results sooner rather than later, but turning a battle-worn ship around could take a decade - and requires a broad array of support from many players in the city and state.

There are certainly ample reasons to feel a sense of urgency. Despite some success stories, Baltimore's schools generally rank at or near the bottom of statewide comparisons. And a 2006 study for Education Week calculated that Baltimore had the second-lowest graduation rate of 50 major cities in 2002-2003 (the last school year for which figures were available).

In his plan, Mr. Alonso is offering some new variations on old themes, such as shifting decision-making from the central office to local schools and principals. This time, the authority comes with real money, with principals able to control as much as $5,600 out of about $13,000 allocated per pupil, compared with about $90 previously. But there will also be greater accountability, and principals who aren't up to the task won't have the hamstrings of North Avenue to blame for their lackluster performance.

At the same time, Mr. Alonso is wisely trying something new. His push for a handful of schools to host grades 6 through 12 could keep some over-age students in class rather than on the streets. And a renewed emphasis on career and technology courses should help more students prepare for and connect to work.

Mr. Alonso is understandably throwing some forces off balance in his drive for change, and he needs support from the political, business and philanthropic communities as well as parents and neighborhood leaders. But just as he's asking principals and teachers to play by a new set of rules, he also will be judged by how well - and how quickly - he can put more Baltimore students on a path to success.