Jersey Jazzman: Newark: Chris Cerf's Victory Lap

Jersey Jazzman: Newark: Chris Cerf's Victory Lap:

Newark: Chris Cerf's Victory Lap

And so Chris Cerf, the architect of the transformation of Newark into a "portfolio" school district, is now officially in charge. I have to say I was a little surprised Cerf's confirmation was only one vote away from deadlock; then again, given his close ties to embattled former State Superintendent Cami Anderson, only the most ardent supporters of Cerf wouldn't have their doubts about his appointment.

I'll say it again: Chris Cerf is not qualified to run a school district. He holds no standard certifications in school administration nor in teaching; if he applied for a suburban superintendent job, he wouldn't get past the first round.

I never thought he was a good choice to be the Education Commissioner, given his lack of experience as an educator. But that job has a quasi-judicial component, and Cerf is a lawyer (who, impressively, clerked at the Supreme Court), so his appointment to the NJDOE was at least somewhat defensible.

But not here. Newark, like all school districts, needs an experienced, well-trained school leader with a track record of success. Frankly, Cerf's record is one of mediocrity at best and failure at worst. His tenure at Edison Learning was an unmitigated disaster. His stint at the NYCDOE under Mike Bloomberg and Joel Klein is regarded by parent advocates as a train wreck. I judge his record as NJ Education Commissioner to be one full of poor decisions, leading to the alienation of teachers, parents, students, and other stakeholders.

And Amplify? Well...

But let's focus on the future. Chris Cerf is, in the words of current Education Commissioner David Hespe, the man whose charge is to be the last State Superintendent of Newark. His mission, handed down from both Governor Christie and Mayor Baraka, is clear: bring the district back to local control. Will he?

My best guess now is that he will -- because this is Chris Cerf's last stand. Let's be brutally honest: if he doesn't get this right, he really doesn't have anything left. His resume lacks substantive accomplishments, in either the public or private sectors. He's going to have to have something to point to if he ever wants to work again in this field. Getting Newark to - See more at: http://jerseyjazzman.blogspot.com/2015/07/newark-chris-cerfs-victory-lap.html#sthash.W5LESH9K.dpuf