From 1999 to 2001, Christie was a registered lobbyist at a law firm that lobbied state government on behalf of for-profit education company that employed Cerf
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Acting education commissioner Christopher Cerf, left, and Gov. Chris Christie. Both once received paychecks from Edison Schools, a for-profit company that became the largest private-sector manager of public schools. TRENTON — Gov. Chris Christie will announce legislation today to create public-private partnerships to run some schools in New Jersey, three people with knowledge of the plan said.
The governor is scheduled to make the announcement at noon at the Lanning Square Elementary School in Camden.
Two of the sources said Christie will be appearing with Camden Mayor Dana Redd, a Democrat who has worked with the Republican governor on education issues.
It's unclear exactly how the public-private partnerships would work, and the sources said it would start as a pilot program. They declined to speak on the record in advance of the public announcement.
One source said individual districts would need to opt into the pilot program and approval from local school boards would be required.
Christie’s acting education commissioner, Christopher Cerf, has experience in public-private school partnerships. He previously led Edison Schools, a for-profit company that became the largest private-sector manager of public schools. Cerf left the company, now called EdisonLearning, in 2005.
Christie is also connected to for-profit education companies, including Cerf’s.
From 1999 to 2001, Christie was a registered lobbyist at a law firm that lobbied New Jersey government on behalf of Edison Schools, according to filings with the state Election Law Enforcement Commission. While the firm was representing the multinational education company, Chris Cerf was its general counsel.
The firm, Dughi, Hewit and Palatucci, also represented Mosaica Education, a for-profit charter school operator, and the University of Phoenix, a for-profit online university. At the time, the firm listed two lobbyists, Christie and William Palatucci, a longtime political ally of the governor who is a named partner in the firm.
During the 2009 gubernatorial campaign, then-campaign spokeswoman Maria Comella said the "overwhelming" majority — "over 90 or 95 percent" — of the firm's lobbying was done by Palatucci, who remains a close friend of Christie.
The governor’s office declined to comment before today's announcement.
Since Christie's campaign for governor two years ago, he has criticized the state of urban education in New Jersey, saying public schools and teacher unions have perpetuated a failing system.
Angel Cordero, who helped create the Community Education Resource Network, an alternative school for dropouts, applauded the plan for public-private schools.
"It’s time we think out of the box and break up the monopoly" of the teachers unions, he said. "This is the perfect storm right now. People are ready."
Christie was in Camden for the Community Education Resource Network's graduation ceremony on Friday, where he and other political leaders called for a shakeup in the public school system.
Steve Baker, a spokesman for the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, expressed skepticism about the partnership proposal.
"Anything that turns public schools over to private operation, and reduces public accountability, would be very problematic," he said tonight.
Christie has enraged the NJEA with his push for more charter schools and a voucher program.
The voucher proposal, called the Opportunity Scholarship Act, has stalled in the Legislature despite support from both sides of the aisle as some Democrats have pushed to downsize it.
Star-Ledger staff writer Jessica Calefati contributed to this report.