Librera to resign
from Cabinet,
accepts position at
Rutgers
By GREGORY J. VOLPE,
Courier News-Gannett State Bureau, July 29, 2005
TRENTON -- State Department of
Education Commissioner William L. Librera announced Thursday he will resign from
his Cabinet post to take a job with the Graduate School of Education at Rutgers
University.
Librera, 59, rose from high school social studies teacher, to school
administrator, to college professor, to president of an educational consulting
firm, to the state's highest education post in 2002. He will leave Sept. 7
to be a research professor of education at Rutgers with a $160,000 salary.
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ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOTO
State Education
Commissioner William L. Librera announced Thursday he is leaving his post
to work at Rutgers University. |
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Richard DeLisi, dean of the graduate
school, said in a statement Librera will lead research efforts aimed at
improving pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education.
"I am delighted. ... We could not have made a better choice on behalf of New
Jersey's children," DeLisi said.
Librera said he couldn't give much detail about his new post until next month --
joking at one point that he will become a coach for the university's football
team.
Librera, who said he never intended to serve more than one, four-year term, said
he was proud of his accomplishments with teaching, but failed to get the state
to change the school-funding formula or consolidate school districts.
"As gratifying as this has been professionally, there have been some costs for
me personally," Librera said in a conference call with reporters.
Paul Kadri, schools superintendent of Moorestown, Burlington County, said he
always perceived state government to be an auditor looking for things wrong
until Librera came along.
"He, as an individual, looked at how we can build a relationship with local
districts, how we can help to make you better," Kadri said. "It was done
without politics with the kids in mind."
Kadri praised Librera for eliminating bureaucracy in education, noting that he
cut down the time to certify a teacher from months to weeks.
John Rodecker, schools superintendent in Perth Amboy, Middlesex County, said
Librera always seemed supportive of the district's efforts but noted he was in
charge of the department during a time of frozen state funding.
"I don't think the department has been as supportive of Abbott districts as
other administrations," Rodecker said. "Certainly, in the area of
financing, but that could be a result of the state's crisis. He may just
be the messenger, and sometimes you don't want to kill the messenger, but it has
had an affect on our ability to operate."
Regarding Abbott districts, those getting extra court-ordered aid and programs,
Librera said there were examples of academic success during his tenure but that
those were the exception. He also said the state needs to address school
funding.
"I wished we had made more progress in changing our funding formula," Librera
said. "I do understand better now how complicated these matters are.
This can't be seen as an indictment of anybody. This is just real
difficult work that is going to take time to be done well."
Acting Gov. Richard J. Codey has not set a schedule to appoint Librera's
successor, who would serve until a new governor takes office in January.
Robert Ciliento, superintendent in Point Pleasant, Ocean County, said he hopes
the next commissioner has a background in New Jersey education.
"Bill came into the position as a true educator and I think his direction was
the right direction. ... Bill Librera understands the educational problems in
New Jersey and somebody like that is not making political decisions, but is
making good educational decisions," Ciliento said.
Librera knows how he would advise the next commissioner: "It wouldn't be
on the personal toll. It would be on the opportunities and the need to be
more realistic than I about what can be done and what really is an important
accomplishment and getting your sense about that as soon as possible."
Several state education organizations representing teachers, school boards and
administrators praised Librera for improving standardized testing, implementing
the federal No Child Left Behind regulations and improving teachers'
professional development.
Librera's new post will not affect his pension benefits because he has been
receiving retirement pay -- $71,000 a year -- since retiring from public schools
in 2001.
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