On the eve of taking office in January, Gov. Jon Corzine said he would launch a nationwide search for state education commissioner, arguably the highest profile job in his cabinet. Six months later, the process remains shrouded in secrecy.

One of the finalists, Gary Natriello, is a professor of sociology and education at Columbia Teachers College, and is well known for his research on school standards, high-stakes testing and high school dropouts. He said despite the state's budget woes, the commissioner post would be an attractive job for those who work closely with schools and education issues. "There's the reality of available resources everywhere, and the key job of the commissioner is how to get the most of them," he said. "That's always interesting, and anyone involved in thinking about the operation of schools would find that an attractive challenge."

This article, written by John Mooney, appeared in the June 12th, 2006 publication of The Star-Ledger.

Published Tuesday, Jun. 13, 2006