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Gov. Chris Christie to nominate ex-N.Y. schools official for N.J. education commissioner
Ohanian Comment: Just to keep in perspective what education "reform" means to these fellows--and to the media, Christopher Cerf, former President of Edison, the commercial outfit that has stirred up bitter controversy in 25 states, was hired in 2006 by Chancellor Klein, former Counsel to Bertelsmann, a transnational media corporation, and United States Assistant Attorney General in charge of the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.
Education reform, anyone?
Christoper Cerf revealed that he's a fellow who has no regrets and never even says he's sorry--not even when he's caught violating ethics statutes.
Christopher Cerf was in charge of the project to measure teachers by student test scores.
Oh, and don't forget: Christopher Cerf graduated from the Broad Urban Superintendents Academy in 2004.
NOTE: It's the other Christopher Cerf, the composer of "Put Down the Duckie" for Sesame Street, who has been hired to write a "Blast Away Phuzzy Phonics" theme song for the Broad/Microsoft/Pentagon/McGraw-Hill kindergarten war games product.
Here is New York City Public School Parents on the Cerf Investigation Report.
There are two news articles below
By Jessica Calefati (Star Ledger)
TRENTON — Christopher Cerf, a former New York City deputy schools chancellor described as "one of the most talented and sophisticated people in education in America today," will be nominated as New Jersey's next education commissioner, two people briefed on the nomination said tonight.
Gov. Chris Christie is expected to formally nominate Cerf, a 56-year-old Montclair resident, next week, according to one of the two people. Both asked not to be named because they are not authorized to speak publicly about the matter.
If confirmed by the state Senate, Cerf would take over an embattled department that has been without a commissioner since August, when Bret Schundler was fired after the state lost $400 million in federal education aid, and an education system has been under relentless attacks by Christie.
"I know the governor wants someone who is tough and fair and who will move the system forward. Chris is the right man for that work," said Joel Klein, the outgoing New York City schools chancellor who said he has known Cerf for nearly 30 years.
"Chris is one of the most talented and sophisticated people in education in America today." Klein said. "I know every superintendent, every commissioner across the country and he is right at the top of the pack. I think he would be a spectacular commissioner."
The nomination, which Christie's office would not discuss tonight, ends months of speculation over who will become the state's top educator. Some believed the job would go to Rochelle Hendricks, a 22-year-veteran of the department who has served as acting commissioner since Schundler's firing.
Cerf is currently CEO of Sangari Education, a company that provides math and science resources to 500,000 students worldwide.
From 2004 to 2009, he served as deputy New York City schools chancellor, in charge of strategy and innovation, overseeing teacher recruitment and the department's sometimes strained relationship with the city's teacher's union.
One of Cerf's major accomplishments, Klein said, involved "flipping the system" to empower principals and hold them accountable for students' learning. Another involved Cerf's effort to evaluate teachers based on student achievement, one of Christie's signature education reform proposals, he said.
During his tenure, Cerf also closed 90 failing schools and bolstered the city's menu of charter school options.
He left the deputy chancellor's post last year to became senior advisor on education for Mayor Michael Bloomberg's re-election campaign.
"Mayor Bloomberg is one of the most sophisticated politicans in America and he wanted Chris by his side," Klein said. "It's always about the two P's -- politics and policy -- and Chris has a handle on both of them like few other people I know."
An Illinois native who grew up in Washington, D.C., and Boston, Cerf is a graduate of Amherst College in Massachusetts and the Columbia University Law School. A former history teacher, he serves on advisory boards for TEAM Academy Charter Schools and iCivics, a web-based civics education project started by former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, for whom he served as a clerk.
Before joining the public sector in 2004, Cerf was president of Edison Schools Inc., the world’s largest for-profit operator of public schools. He is also a former associate counsel to President Bill Clinton and a former partner at two Washington, D.C., law firms.
One blemish on Cerf's otherwise robust resume came in 2007, when New York City investigators scolded him for soliciting a $60,000 charitable contribution from executives at Edison, who held contracts with the city.
If confirmed, Cerf would take on many of the same issues in New Jersey he dealt with in New York, including tenure reform, merit pay and charter school expansion.
He would also be thrown into the middle of the fight between Christie and the New Jersey Education Association. Christie has argued the NJEA, the state's largest teachers union, opposes true education reform and is more interested in protecting bad teachers than helping students achieve in the classroom. More recently, Christie has taken on school administrators by capping superintendents’ salaries at $175,000.
Earlier this year, Christie slashed education funding by $820 million, leaving some of the state's wealthy districts with no aid.
Read more:
by Juan Gonzalez ( New York Daily News)
Schools big eyed by conflict board
December 4th 2008
Deputy Schools Chancellor Christopher Cerf violated city conflict-of-interest law by soliciting a $60,000 charitable contribution from executives of his former firm while the company did business with the school system.
Cerf asked executives from Edison Schools to give the money to a nonprofit wilderness program on whose board of directors he sat, a probe conducted by Richard Condon, the special commissioner for school investigations, found.
After investigators questioned him about the propriety of the donation, Cerf then sent an e-mail to the executives saying: "I have now concluded that it would be the better course not to proceed with the contribution."
Condon, who is never shy about announcing investigations of low-level school employees, then sent an 11-page report on Cerf to Chancellor Joel Klein in August 2007, but never made it public.
The Daily News obtained a heavily redacted copy of the report last week.
The report also examined other post-employment financial ties between Cerf and Edison, the controversial for-profit company whose subsidiary, Newton Learning Centers, runs tutorial programs at various city schools.
Cerf relinquished 6,000 shares of Edison stock in February 2007, only hours before he was to be questioned about his ties to Edison by the DOE's parent advisory council, Condon concluded. Cerf also renounced any interest in a 10-year consulting contract with another Edison-connected firm - a contract that could have been worth $2.5 million.
Cerf and his lawyers claimed in two interviews with Condon's investigators the stock was virtually worthless, and that he had never signed the consulting contract so it was not "operational." They also noted Cerf had recused himself from any Edison dealings with the city's schools.
In October 2007, the city's Conflict of Interest Board board issued a confidential letter admonishing Cerf for using his city position to benefit the wilderness group.
"It appears that you were aware that Edison schools was likely to come before the DOE and/or to be affected by your official actions on behalf of DOE," the decision stated.
The board recommended no further disciplinary action but it reminded Cerf that such violations "can result in civil fines of up to $10,000 ... and other penalties."
Cerf only agreed to release the COIB letter after The News raised questions about the matter Thursday, but he declined to talk on the record about its findings.
So what does Klein have to say about this?
"When this case was closed more than a year ago, the Conflict of Interest Board found that no action was required," Klein said through a spokesman.
"I consider this matter closed and look forward to continuing my work with Chris, who has made, and continues to make, an enormous contribution to our city and our schoolchildren."
— Jessica Calefati & Juan Gonzalez
Star Ledger & NY Daily News
2010-12-16
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/12/nj_gov_chris_christie_nominate_3.html
INDEX OF OUTRAGES
Pages: 380
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