Photo by David Clow – Maryland

While mayoral contender Vincent Gray has so far refused to say whether or not he would retain D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee if he were to be elected, Rhee is apparently sparing him the trouble of making that call. Rhee told WAMU today that she doesn’t see the same level of commitment to reforming the city’s troubled schools in Gray as she does in Mayor Adrian Fenty.

“I think the chairman is certainly interested in education reform. I think that he is committed to this city and its progress, certainly. But in terms of what I’m talking about with Mayor Fenty and his willingness to make some very difficult decisions…no, I haven’t seen the same thing from the chairman,” Rhee said.

That doesn’t mean she’d quit, does it? Well…

“I would not work under a mayor who was not focused on education in the same way and as dedicated to making some of the really difficult decisions,” she added.

This is quite a development. Education is a central issue in this year’s battle between Fenty and Gray, and Rhee has become a pivotal figure for many voters. (Fenty, for his part, cleared up his absence at Monday’s planned education debate with Gray with his attendance at a vigil for a slain Northeast teen.) With these comments, she’s all but pinned a “Fenty 2010!” button on her shirt, potentially making a lot of voters very nervous about the choice they’ll have to make come September.