Remember all the fanfare less than two weeks ago about the $100 million deal Newark Mayor Cory Booker and Gov. Chris Christie made with Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg?
Well, it seems they should have consulted a copy of the state’s education law before hopping on Oprah’s couch for the big unveil.
In a new blog post on State EdWatch, my colleague Catherine Gewertz reports that the deal, which includes Booker having more control over Newark’s schools, may not be legal.
Catherine reports:
When we wrote our story about the Newark dustup, the state education department stayed pointedly silent, referring all calls to the governor's office. But now the acting ed commissioner (remember that Gov. Christie fired the last commissioner because of the state's botched Race to the Top application) is telling a state legislative committee that the law bars both the mayor and the governor from wielding power over school reform.
Head over to State EdWatch to read more—New Jersey politics are irresistible!