The Man with the Plan ... to Reorganize the Department of Education

Six months into office acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf has begun filling out his department with a mix of out-of-state transplants and New Jersey veterans, including former commissioner David Hespe.

Cerf yesterday announced a new organizational chart for the 700-employee department, actually a series of charts that he said will better align the Department of Education with his priorities. Central will be four new assistant commissioners focusing on broader state policy: Chief Academic Officer, Chief Performance Officer, Chief Talent Officer and Chief Innovation Officer.

"This represents a very different and very new organization for the department, and I think it will serve us very well in reaching our No. 1 goal of increasing the number of children who are college- and career-ready," Cerf said yesterday.

But as much as the organizational structure was talked about, the whispers had more to do with who will fill the jobs in a department that has been decimated in recent months. Three of the four new assistant posts are not yet filled, but there were some notable names put forward, starting with Hespe, who will be Cerf’s chief of staff.

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