• John King, New York State Senior Deputy Commissioner — One of three state officials who prepared and promoted New York’s successful Race to the Top application. A reformer with a focus on urban schools , King was co-founder and co-director of the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School in Boston. Former Managing Director with Uncommon Schools, a non-profit charter management...
Mayor Cory Booker and Gov. Chris Christie talk after greeting President Barack Obama at Newark Liberty International Airport for visit to New Jersey in this July file photo. The following is a list of possible candidates for Newark schools superintendent, after the two politicians announce Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's $100 million gift on Oprah on Friday.• John King, New York State Senior Deputy Commissioner — One of three state officials who prepared and promoted New York’s successful Race to the Top application. A reformer with a focus on urban schools , King was co-founder and co-director of the Roxbury Preparatory Charter School in Boston. Former Managing Director with Uncommon Schools, a non-profit charter management organization that operates schools in New York and New Jersey.
• Jean-Claude Brizard, Rochester Superintendent — Closed several failing schools in Rochester and worked for greater tracking of student progress in school and beyond. Prior to coming to Rochester, he served as a Regional Superintendent in New York City, supervising more than 100 K-12 schools serving over 100,000 students in three districts. A native of Haiti, a former science teacher and principal.
• Chris Cerf, former deputy schools chancellor, NYC — Currently the head of the American branch of Sangari Brazil, an education technology company, Cerf was a consultant during Bloomberg’s push for educational reform. Former president of Edison Schools Inc., a commercial public school operator. He came under fire in 2007 when he sought to hold onto his shares in the group while serving as deputy chancellor, but eventually divested.
• John White, Deputy Chancellor, NYC Division of Talent, Labor and Innovation — Human capital development; management of the school portfolio; and management of the Innovation Zone, a network of schools piloting industry-changing products. Previously served as a chief executive officer responsible for developing new schools, closing failing schools, and adjusting grade levels, enrollments and locations of existing schools.
• Michelle Rhee, D.C. Chancellor — A longshot whose future in the District is in question following Mayor Fenty’s failed re-election bid. Rhee is now a national figure after enacting major reforms that improved D.C. schools. Former Baltimore School teacher and founder of the New Teacher Project. Rhee holds a bachelor’s degree in government from Cornell University and a master's degree in public policy from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
By David Giambusso and Jessica Calefati/The Star-Ledger
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