County superintendents are assigned to ensure that state education department policies are carried out..."It’s time for change in those institutions and so we’re going to work along with Rochelle Hendricks and Chris Cerf to identify people for the executive county superintendents’ jobs whose views and goals are in alliance with our goals for education reform across the state of New Jersey," the governor said. "And so we thank those folks for their service and we’ll be moving on to select new people."...No replacements have been nominated as of yet...Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, a group that represents about 100 suburban school districts, said Christie’s failure to renominate the executive superintendents is "not a comment on their ability to perform, as much as a governor choosing to put folks in place who are on his team." She said, however, with the state’s school districts working on budgets, with a new education commissioner just named and numerous key vacancies in high-level positions at the education department, the timing is a challenge. "The timing is difficult because of the forthcoming budget, the loss of state aid under last year’s budget, the funding formula up in the air. There are a lot of decisions that have to be made on school budgets going forward," she said. "Can they hire folks quickly enough that will have the background to be effective in the next year?"

"Gov. Christie's dismissal of county education chiefs draws criticism from N.J. Senate majority leader"Published: Tuesday, January 04, 2011, 9:45 PM Updated: Wednesday, January 05, 2011, 5:24 AM By Victoria St. Martin The Star-Ledger TRENTON — While Gov. Chris Christie told reporters today that a need for "change" was behind his decision to not renew the contracts of a third of the state’s executive county school superintendents, the Senate majority leader criticized the move, calling it a "policy of politics before kids.""The executive county superintendents are watchdogs for school children and property taxpayers. They are professionals who went through a long vetting process and (were) selected because they weren’t going to put politics before sound educational policy," said Barbara Buono (D-Middlesex). "These aren’t political hacks that should be in a revolving door — they’re essential to overseeing the operations of our schools."Buono’s comments came almost a week after seven executive county superintendents were told via an e-mail, sent by the state Department of Education, that their last work day would be Dec. 30."You are being terminated effective December 31, 2010," read the e-mail sent by Gregg Edwards, acting chief of staff, according to department spokesman Alan Guenther.Superintendents in Burlington, Cape May, Hunterdon, Monmouth, Ocean and Somerset counties were dismissed, along with the Middlesex superintendent, who also serves as acting superintendent for Bergen County. Guenther said the contracts expired Monday. PREVIOUS COVERAGE:• Gov. Christie fires 7 N.J. county education chiefs• Gov. Christie wants to ease requirements for school superintendents• In first year, Gov. Christie causes turbulence across N.J. education landscape• N.J. Supreme Court to hear arguments on constitutionality of Christie's education budget cuts• Gov. Christie officially nominates Christopher Cerf as education chiefThe positions pay $120,000 a year County superintendents are assigned to ensure that state education department policies are carried out at the local level.Christie spokesman Michael Drewniak said the seven county superintendents affected were holdovers from the previous administration who would be replaced by Christie appointees.At a press conference yesterday, Christie said he made the decision to not renew the seven while he was on a family vacation to Disney World, adding that he would work with the acting education commissioner, Rochelle Hendricks, and his nominee, Chris Cerf."It’s time for change in those institutions and so we’re going to work along with Rochelle Hendricks and Chris Cerf to identify people for the executive county superintendents’ jobs whose views and goals are in alliance with our goals for education reform across the state of New Jersey," the governor said. "And so we thank those folks for their service and we’ll be moving on to select new people."No replacements have been nominated as of yet, said Guenther. In the meantime, he added that the remaining executive superintendents will cover the eight open counties. Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, a group that represents about 100 suburban school districts, said Christie’s failure to renominate the executive superintendents is "not a comment on their ability to perform, as much as a governor choosing to put folks in place who are on his team."She said, however, with the state’s school districts working on budgets, with a new education commissioner just named and numerous key vacancies in high-level positions at the education department, the timing is a challenge."The timing is difficult because of the forthcoming budget, the loss of state aid under last year’s budget, the funding formula up in the air. There are a lot of decisions that have to be made on school budgets going forward," she said. "Can they hire folks quickly enough that will have the background to be effective in the next year?"At the end of the e-mail, Guenther said, Edwards wrote that the "vacated positions will be nominated by the governor subject to the Senate’s advice and consent. Individuals wishing to fill those positions may apply with the Governor’s Office."Buono, who called Christie’s decision an impulsive act, added that the e-mail was disrespectful and a phone call may have been more appropriate. The Associated Press and Star-Ledger staff writers Jeanette Rundquist and Ginger Gibson contributed to this report.