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In the hours after the New York Times reported Friday that Mayor Michael Bloomberg first offered the schools chancellor job to Harlem Children's Zone founder Geoffrey Canada before giving the position to Hearst executive Cathie Black, Canada said that Bloomberg did consult him before making his choice.

But Canada said he only realized how unpopular his advice was after witnessing the backlash against Cathie Black.

"I thought my view was widely accepted," Canada said, "but it turns out it sounds like me and the mayor are the only ones who have the same ideas on this."

Their idea is that an unconventional background may be what this city needs in a chancellor. But on Friday, The New York Times quoted two anonymous sources as saying the mayor tried to make a more conventional choice first -- by offering Canada the job. Black said that that's not what the mayor told her.

"What he said to me is, 'You're the first person I've offered this job to.' That's all I can tell you. That's what he said," Black told "Good Day New York" on Friday.

"Well you know it is interesting," Canada said in response. "It is the question. I read the papers like everyone else this morning where it was said that the offer was made. This is what I'll say: I had a meeting with the mayor. It was an off-the-record meeting, it was a confidential meeting. We did talk about what I thought the skills were for a great chancellor and that is all I am going to say."

But that wasn't all he said. He confirmed he wouldn't accept the job of chancellor right now – but maybe someday.

"I will never say there is a job I would never do," said Canada. "I love this city and I really love the children in this city. But I am deeply committed to the Harlem Children's Zone for the foreseeable future and it is my number one priority."

He also said he'd told the mayor to look for four qualities in a chancellor: courage, the ability to negotiate, leadership and, he said, "you better have a sense of humor. If you come into this business taking yourself too seriously then you are going to burn out. In the end, you have to look at what we have in New York and be able to close the door and just laugh and say, boy, I'm not sure that I was really prepared for all of this."

Although Canada is very supportive of Black, he says they have yet to speak.

"Believe me," he said, "there are probably a thousand other New Yorkers saying, right now, 'Oh I have to meet with the chancellor' and I know how that is, so I am going to wait to let the dust settle a little."