Statement on Gov. Chris Christie’s Nomination of Christopher Cerf as Commissioner of State Department of Education

NEWARK, NJ – December 20, 2010 – Mashea Ashton, the CEO of the Newark Charter School Fund, released the following statement on Gov. Chris Christie’s nomination of Christopher Cerf as commissioner of the state Department of Education:

"Chris Cerf is an excellent choice to serve as New Jersey's next Commissioner of Education. We at the Newark Charter School Fund look forward to working with him.

Not only will Chris continue the progress made by Acting Commissioner Hendricks, but he will also bring his past experience from New York City and elsewhere to push for aggressive reforms to improve the quality of education for our students and schools most in need.

"We're confident he'll support our mission of creating high quality public school options for all students in Newark and across the state.

"The Newark Charter School Fund is funded and governed by national educational foundations to make grants that support the quality and sustainability of Newark’s charter schools.

For more information or to arrange an interview with Mashea Ashton, please contact Bruno Tedeschi at 908-591-3631.