North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson has chosen the former headmaster of a top-ranked North Carolina public charter school to be his chief of staff.

Superintendent Mark Johnson announced in an email sent out on Friday that Joseph Maimone had been picked to be the chief of staff at the Department of Public Instruction.

“Joe has the management expertise and the background in K-12 education to help us continue the process of making this department function best,” said State Superintendent Mark Johnson in the statement. “I am happy to have him join the team of professionals who make up the Department of Public Instruction.”

The choice of Maimone is a clear sign of support for school choice and the charter school system in North Carolina. It couldn’t come at a better time given the increasing attacks on parental rights and disgusting smears against charters and school choice in general.

Set your watches though, folks. Let’s see how long it takes the State Board of Education to complain about the appointment.

More About Maimone

Maimone was appointed to the Charter School Advisory Board (CSAB) by Gov. Pat McCrory in 2013 and was reappointed in 2017 by Speaker Moore.

According to Johnson’s press release, Maimone currently serves as chairman of the Performance Committee, which is the perfect place for him given the stellar performance of his former charter school.

Maimone served as the Headmaster of Thomas Jefferson Classical Academy (TJCA) public charter school from 1998 until his resignation in July 2018.

TJCA has had an amazing track record of success and strong A’s and B’s on North Carolina’s School Report Card.

In 2018, US News and World Report ranked TJCA as the #5 charter school in the state and ranked the school at 126 nationwide.

During his time at TJCA, the NC Alliance of Charter Schools Hall of Fame inducted him into their ranks in 2011.