Dive Brief:
- Outgoing New Jersey Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf caught educators in the state by surprise with his Tuesday announcement that he would step down at the end of the month, accepting a job as CEO of Amplify Insight.
- Amplify Insight is a division of New York education company Amplify, best known for its tablets, though Amplify Insight is a professional and consulting services provider that measures student progress and needs for teachers.
- Cerf says that, despite the fact he "suspects" some New Jersey schools are probably clients of Amplify Insight, he sees no conflict of interest. The state of New Jersey itself is not an Amplify Insight client.
Dive Insight:
Various regulations prevent Cerf from cashing in on contacts made during his time heading New Jersey's schools, but that still hasn't stopped eyebrows from raising over the announcement. He isn't the first schools chief to join the company, though. Former New York City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein heads the News Corp-owned company.
