Gov. Chris Christie Takes Education Reform Push To Bergenfield, Touts New Teacher Data System
BERGENFIELD, NJ (WCBS 880) - According to Gov. Chris Christie, the biggest problem in education in New Jersey is comfort.
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"We're too comfortable with just accepting things the way they are," he said Wednesday at the Roy W. Brown Middle School in Bergenfield.
Christie said teachers need to be challenged before pushing students for higher achievement.
So, in rolling out his education reform measures, the governor says the one thing they'll do is keep tabs on educators and calculate how much teachers help students to grow in math and language arts from fourth to eighth grade.
"This is not about getting to a particular score," Christie said. "Some teachers teach in classrooms where the kids roll out of bed proficient and to teach to a particular score for them wouldn't necessarily be a challenge. But there are some teachers who walk into a classroom where the kids roll out of bed very challenged because of their previous education experiences, because of home life, or a number of other factors."
"What's working and what's not working is a very, very powerful tool," said acting state education commissioner Christopher Cerf.
He says this is not about blaming teachers of poor-performing kids, but about seeing and fixing whatever is not working.
Christie will also allow districts greater freedom to develop their own curriculums to work with the needs of their students.
What do you think New Jersey should do about its education system? Sound off below!
