Today, more names circulate.

Send your tips on which agency or commissioner we should look at next to editor@cityhallnews.com.

Joel Klein

To say there are a lot of people who would love to see Schools Chancellor Joel Klein kicked to the curb would be a gross understatement. Critics of Klein’s data-driven approach to school governance have long bellowed for his removal, just as “Dump Klein” became a popular refrain for Comptroller Bill Thompson’s mayoral campaign. But true to form, Bloomberg has kept the controversial chancellor close, rebuffing his critics and declaring unqualified support whenever prompted.'

But after eight years at the helm of the Department of Education—longer than any other chancellor in recent history—many believe that Klein could be on his way out.

“I don’t think the mayor thinks Klein is the one-and-only, in the way he regards [Police Commissioner Ray] Kelly,” said David Bloomfield, an education professor at Brooklyn College. “He has to make a highly visible change somewhere in administration to prove he wants new blood.”

Some City Hall insiders speculated that if Bloomberg were to propose cutting the education budget, Klein would leave in protest, allowing the mayor to bring in a fresh face while avoiding the embarrassment of firing one of his closest advisors. Others assumed that Bloomberg traded Klein’s head for the Legislature’s renewal of mayoral control. And rumors continue to swirl that Klein has been interviewing for a new job, possibly at the Gates Foundation or another reform-minded education group.

If Klein were to leave, the next question would be whom the mayor would pick to replace him. Even his harshest critics say Bloomberg is unlikely to stray too far from the Klein model in searching for a successor.

“Who I think it’ll be is much different from who I wish it’ll be,” said NYU professor Diane Ravitch, a staunch critic of Bloomberg’s education policies.

Possible replacements include Christopher Cerf, one of Klein’s top deputies who left Tweed a few months ago to work for the mayor’s re-election effort; Louisiana Recovery School District Superintendant Paul Vallas, who formerly headed the Chicago school system and is a technocrat in the Klein-mold; or former New York City schools chancellor Rudy Crew, seen as a long shot, but one education advocate say would represent Bloomberg striking a more modest tone in his third term. Crew was the superintendent of the Miami school system from 2004 to 2008, when he was dismissed amid budget wrangling.

And yet most signs point to Klein staying on for Bloomberg’s third term. Bloomberg is unlikely to ask for his resignation, after staking so much of his credibility on his successes in the schools, Department of Education insiders believe. Many assumed that Klein was a lock to stay, especially after an internal DOE letter from the chancellor surfaced, in which Klein wrote, “By the end of this four-year term, the city will have experienced 12 years of consistent and bold educational vision.”

Those close to him say that Klein will stay on as long as he feels his mission is unfinished.

“He loves his job,” said DOE spokesperson David Cantor, “and he would like to continue serving for as long as the mayor wants him.”

Adrian Benepe

Like Sadik-Khan, Benepe has been a magnet for controversy. Since his appointment in 2002, he has helped engineer one of the hallmarks of Bloomberg’s Parks agenda: 'the conservancy model of parks management, relying on a mixture of public financing and private donations to maintain the city’s green space.

Critics contend that the public-private system has only benefited parks in wealthier neighborhoods, while those in places like the South Bronx suffer.

Still, Bloomberg has supported Benepe’s broad agenda, and the criticism is unlikely to be the motivating factor behind his ouster. City Hall insiders suggest that the Parks Department would be a prime place to install a nationally renowned expert or grand urban planner, someone with a reputation as a visionary along the lines of Sadik-Khan.

“The mayor has the ability to attract these national figures,” one Bloomberg aide suggested. “You could, if you wanted to, make a big splash in that agency.”

The Parks Department sits at the intersection of several key components of Bloomberg’s agenda, including his sustainability initiatives and heath advocacy. Replacing Benepe—a career bureaucrat and city parks advocate—with a celebrity of the parks world could provide the foundation for the mayor to pursue a bold PlaNYC-like initiative for a third term, some think.

“The greatest challenge over the next year is going to be to work more synergistically, say, for example, with the Department of Education,” said outgoing Council Member Alan Gerson, who has worked closely with Benepe on the renovation of Washington Square Park. “I think we’re going to have to get more creative as well as more efficient.”

Commissioner, Fire Department—Vacant

With Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta on his way out, one frontrunner to replace him is thought to be Chief of Department Salvatore Cassano, who holds the highest-ranked uniformed position in the agency.

The opening also comes at an opportune time for Cassano, since he is turning 65 in January. At that point, he will no longer be allowed to hold a uniformed position in the department and would have to resign from his current position.

His selection, however, would likely rankle the Uniformed Firefighters’ Association, a union that has clashed frequently with Cassano.

Another frontrunner for the job is thought to be Mylan Denerstein, who until 2007 served as Deputy Fire Commissioner for Legal Affairs, the top legal position in the Department.

“She was smart and well-respected,” said a department insider.

Denerstein is also African-American—and could add some much needed diversity to both the Bloomberg administration and the top of a department that has sought to better integrate its ranks in recent years.

A third potential option is Deputy Commissioner William Eimicke, a rising star in the department who would bring an outsider perspective. For 19 years, Eimicke served as director of the Picker Center for Executive Education at Columbia Univeristy. In 2002, he started working with the FDNY through a university leadership training program specifically designed for fire and EMS personnel.

The department insider suggested that if Eimicke does get the top job, he would come as a package deal with Deputy Fire Chief Richard Tobin, one of Eimicke’s former students at Columbia who is considered a protege, and who would then be named chief of department.

Eimicke’s appointment could be a cause of concern for the department rank-and-file, however, given that many would see him as less loyal to their needs than someone who came up through the FDNY ranks. (This was a problem that Scoppetta faced during his eight-year tenure.) In particular, the rank-and-file would see Eimicke as unlikely to fight the firehouse closures that Bloomberg is likely to propose in this year’s budget.

A fourth potential candidate could be Pete Gorman, the former head of the Uniformed Fire Officers Association, who is thought to have formed a good working relationship with the Bloomberg administration during the mayor’s first term.

Meanwhile, candidates to replace Cassano as chief of department are said to include: Chief of Operations Robert Sweeney, Brooklyn Borough Commander Edward Kilduff and Chief of Training Thomas Galvin.

Commissioner, Department of Environmental Protection—Vacant

Some environmental advocates would like to see outgoing Council Member David Yassky made head of the Department of Environmental Protection, where Steve Lawitts is currently serving as acting commissioner. On the Council, Yassky curried favor with environmental groups by leading the charge for hybrid taxis, championing the Newtown Creek cleanup and favoring a more robust biofuels bill than Environmental Protection Committee chair Jim Gennaro currently is pitching.

As chair of the Small Business Services committee, Yassky might also potentially fit in as commissioner of the Department of Small Business Services, should current head Robert Walsh not return for a third term.

Yassky said no one had yet spoken to him about joining the administration—but said he would be very interested in listening to any offers.

“I would very seriously consider an opportunity to serve in the Bloomberg administration,” he said. “They have a pretty good track record for appointing terrific people, so I’m sure they’ll find top quality people quickly.”

Yassky stressed that there was not any one particular post he had his eye on. He said there are number of potentially available positions in the administration in which he might have interest

Gennaro, meanwhile, has also drawn some buzz as the possible DEP commissioner, with some seeing his endorsement of Bloomberg for a third term as angling for the position. Gennaro currently chairs the Council’s Environmental Protection Committee.

Following the Bloomberg endorsement, however, Gennaro told the Daily News he was “not interested” in the position. His office had no further comment.

Send your tips on which agency or commissioner we should look at next to editor@cityhallnews.com.