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12-20-10 Commissioner's formal appointment expected today
Wall Street Journal 12-18-10 ‘Education Chief Enters With Clout’ "...Despite working for several years in neighboring New York City, Mr. Cerf is still unknown to many in the education community in the Garden State. "A lot of people don't know him," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, which represents[over 300,000 schoolchildren, parents, board of education members and administrators] from 100 mostly suburban districts."It's clear that he's a match with Gov. Christie's reform agenda, and I guess our hope will be that what reform occurs in New Jersey...will be done in the best way for the students in the state," Ms. Strickland said..."

Njspotlight.com 12-20-10 ‘Cerf Clinches the Commissioner Title in Second Round of Search’ The administration official said part of the discussion lately was also what kind of freedom Cerf would have in bringing in his own people to the state Department of Education. The department has been decimated over the past year, with only two assistant commissioners left. “He’s got a very free hand,” said the official. “It’s not like there are a lot of people left there to replace...”

Wall Street Journal 12-18-10 ‘Education Chief Enters With Clout’ By LISA FLEISHER

Despite working for several years in neighboring New York City, Mr. Cerf is still unknown to many in the education community in the Garden State.

"A lot of people don't know him," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, which represents [over 300,000 schoolchildren,parents, board of education members and administrators] from 100 mostly suburban districts. "It's clear that he's a match with Gov. Christie's reform agenda, and I guess our hope will be that what reform occurs in New Jersey...will be done in the best way for the students in the state," Ms. Strickland said.

TRENTON, N.J.—The most far-reaching education issue facing Christopher Cerf, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie's pick to lead the state Department of Education, is one he tackled in New York City: evaluating teachers in a tough political environment.

Mr. Cerf would walk into a department with a mandate to revamp the way teachers are graded in ways that affect their pay and job security. People familiar with the matter said he was Mr. Christie's pick to head a department that has been led by an acting commissioner since August, but the governor declined to comment on Friday.

Mr. Christie assigned a task force to recommend by March a rubric for judging teachers and school leaders, giving at least half the weight to "identified measures of student achievement."

In New York, Mr. Cerf was the "architect" of a program to use test data to watch student improvements under specific teachers, said his former boss, Joel Klein, the outgoing chancellor of New York City schools. But in New York, the testing wasn't meant to be linked to pay or tenure, and it was supported by the teachers union under a deal crafted with Mr. Cerf.

In New Jersey, the administration's conflict-ridden relationship with the teachers union is one of the signatures of Mr. Christie's national profile. His task force doesn't include representatives from the New Jersey Education Association, the state's largest teachers union, which says data is an unproven way to evaluate teachers.

But a spokesman for the union struck a hopeful tone. "We're looking forward to meeting him," spokesman Steve Wollmer said. "We regard this as a fresh opportunity with the administration and the department."

Derrell Bradford, a member of the task force and the head of a school-choice advocacy group, said Mr. Cerf will also have to adjust to a bigger and messier playing field than he was used to in the single New York City school district.

"In New Jersey, there are 611 wars going on right now, essentially one in each school district," he said. "The leader of the state department of education is going to have to manage every one of those battles financially and ideologically, and that is way more complex than what they had to do in New York."

Despite working for several years in neighboring New York City, Mr. Cerf is still unknown to many in the education community in the Garden State.

"A lot of people don't know him," said Lynne Strickland, executive director of the Garden State Coalition of Schools, which representswhich represents [over 300,000 schoolchildren,parents, board of education members and administrators] from 100 mostly suburban districts.  "It's clear that he's a match with Gov. Christie's reform agenda, and I guess our hope will be that what reform occurs in New Jersey...will be done in the best way for the students in the state," Ms. Strickland said.

The nomination must be confirmed by the Senate.

The chairman of the Senate judiciary committee, Democrat Nicholas Scutari, said he needed to do due diligence on Mr. Cerf but said he didn't see why he wouldn't hold a hearing as soon as possible in the new year. Nominations are often subject to political holds or used as bargaining chips in negotiations.

 

Njspotlight.com 12-20-10 ‘Cerf Clinches the Commissioner Title in Second Round of Search’

A finalist and favorite in last year's search, Chris Cerf this time around is expected to get the nod for the top spot

By John Mooney, December 20 in Education |1 Comment

Credit: Education Equality Project

Chris Cerf, leading candidate for NJ Commissioner of Education.Chris Cerf’s path to be New Jersey’s education chief may have started in a Montclair State University conference room a year ago.

It was there where a half-dozen members of the newly elected Chris Christie’s education transition team interviewed Cerf as a candidate for New Jersey commissioner. Montclair State University President Susan Cole led the transition team, and the interviews were held in her conference room.

According to two people in the group, as well as others, Cerf -- fresh from being deputy schools chancellor in New York City -- was not only one of three recommended finalists, but the first choice of several in the room.

A number of factors led Christie to ultimately tap Bret Schundler instead, and Cerf went on to become CEO of Sangari Global Education, a science and math technology company.

But a combination of Cerf’s experience and that interview a year ago instantly put him back on what this time was a very short list of candidates to be Schundler’s successor.

Christie is expected to formally introduce Cerf today as his nominee to be the next commissioner of education. The appointment still needs confirmation by the state Senate.

"It was his broad experience and his knowledge of New Jersey,” said one member of the interview team, speaking anonymously, since members are not authorized to disclose the team’s deliberations. "He just was ahead of the game for a lot of us."

Three Top Choices

The committee ultimately sent three names to the governor, and Cerf was one of them. Schundler was also on the list, as was Richard Bozza, executive director of the administrator’s association.

"I know several people who had Cerf in the one hole," the committee member said.

Another member, also speaking anonymously, agreed that Cerf’s resume and experience in New York City made him an instant favorite. That resume includes being a high school history teacher, law clerk to former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor and president of Edison Schools Inc., the for-profit education management company.

But there were also questions then -- and some now -- to his adherence to some of Christie’s bolder initiatives, especially concerning private school vouchers. Cerf is a big charter school supporter and serves on the board of the TEAM Academy in Newark, but he has not been known as an outspoken advocate for school vouchers.

"He hadn’t been that familiar with what Chris Christie had talked about in his campaign, and wasn’t as well-prepared," said the second member. "I think the difference now is he has probably done his homework."

But the topic came up again in discussions inside the administration this time around, said one administration official, and Cerf assuaged any skepticism that he wouldn’t carry the flag on the full agenda.

Among the more immediate issues is the proposed Opportunity Scholarship Act (OSA), a Christie-backed bill that would create a voucher-like system funded through corporate tax credits.

"He spoke to us more about vouchers in political terms, and whether it was worth the capital," said the official, who asked to remain anonymous since the nomination is not yet official. "But when it came to OSA, that was OK. There was no problem with that."

No Comment

Cerf on Sunday declined to comment for this story or any specifics of Christie’s education agenda. While he has done interviews about his experience and general positions, he has yet to even confirm he has been chosen for the job.

The administration official said part of the discussion lately was also what kind of freedom Cerf would have in bringing in his own people to the state Department of Education. The department has been decimated over the past year, with only two assistant commissioners left.

“He’s got a very free hand,” said the official. “It’s not like there are a lot of people left there to replace.”

Still, one uncertainty will be what happens to assistant commissioner Rochelle Hendricks, who served as acting commissioner since Schundler was fired and was widely considered the other favorite for the post. Another is Andrew Smarick, a special assistant in the department who Schundler brought in to be his deputy.

Overall, the administration official said he did not expect Cerf’s choice would change many specifics in Christie’s plans, although maybe put immediate focus back on Newark, where Cerf had been an education advisor to Mayor Cory Booker. Newark is the one area where Cerf already brings extensive knowledge and background, the official said.

But an area that will be a steeper learning curve will be in Cerf’s relationships with the legislature, new ground for the next commissioner.

"Frankly, a lot of what we want to do will require statutory authority," the official said. "He will have to be engaged in that, and it will take a little time."