The closely watched search for a new superintendent in Boston has taken such a rocky turn that the search committee's revised timeline now envisions January as the starting time for the new schools chief. The district's search committee had planned to select a group of finalists who would then go through public interviews before the school committee made its decision. Four highly regarded educators said they were not interested in the post after the city's leading newspaper identified them as top candidates. Two of which--Ms. Ackerman and Mr. Rivera--said in interviews with "Education Week" that they had agreed to talk to Boston officials, and had made it clear they did not seek the superintendent's chair. Another one--Ms. Sims--said that she withdrew because she concluded that the search would have to be prolonged, and that she did not wish to be involved. And the last one--Ms. O'Neill--declined to discuss whether public disclosure of her name had affected her decision. She said only that she had decided not to pursue the job because she is happy at Harvard. Ms. McGinley, the Charleston County school official, stressed and remained an active candidate.