Governor elect Chris Christie recently nominated former Jersey City mayor Bret Schundler as Commissioner of Education for the State of New Jersey replacing Lucille Davy. Here is a segment of a report by NY Times reporter David M. Halbfinger that was published on January 13, 2010. You can view the entire article by clicking HERE.
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TRENTON — The man once described by teachers’ union leaders as “the antithesis of everything we hold sacred about public education” was chosen to serve as state education commissioner by Governor-elect Christopher J. Christie on Wednesday.
Governor-elect Christopher J. Christie, left, announcing the nomination of Bret D. Schundler to serve as New Jersey’s education commissioner. Mr. Schundler ran for governor twice.
The nomination of Bret D. Schundlerto the post underscored the governor’s determination to press ahead with his push for school vouchers, morecharter schools and merit pay for teachers.
It was the first selection by Mr. Christie to suggest even the possibility of a confirmation battle with Democrats, who control both houses of the Legislature. Thus far, the governor-elect has chosen nominees heavy on managerial experience, if lacking in drama or outsized personalities, and drawn bipartisan praise for his selections.
Mr. Schundler, 50, was a favorite of the conservative wing of the Republican Party and a leading voice for school-choice advocates during his nine years as mayor of Jersey City, but he failed in two runs for governor, in 2001 and 2005.
“We agree on the type of significant reform that needs to happen in our educational system here in New Jersey,” Mr. Christie said in making the announcement at the State House. “I want a strong, reasonable, bold leader who’s going to help me implement those policies.”
