New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is courting District of Columbia schools chancellor Michelle Rhee to become his state’s commissioner of education, according to a report.
Rhee, who announced that she would resign from her current post last week, has voiced reservations about whether family concerns would allow her to take the New Jersey job, according to a story on the Star-Ledger, a New Jersey paper.
Christie has been searching for an education commissioner since he fired Bret Schundler, in the wake of the debacle over an error on the state’s Race to the Top application, which may have cost New Jersey $400 million. The governor has feuded with a major teacher union in his state over his agenda and his management style, and in that sense, he shares similarities with Rhee, who has drawn national attention for her work but has proved a divisive figure in the city.