Most recent deal could be last major victory as election year looms
By John Mooney
Gov. Chris Christie clearly placed education at the top of his priorities from the day he was elected three years ago, making his very first stop a Newark charter school and promising a host of reforms to come.
Since that day, the governor has left a strong and often controversial stamp on school policies and practices. These include signing a new teacher tenure law, revamping school finance with new caps on property taxes and administrator pay, and infuriating unions by cutting back their pensions.
On Friday, he came back to Newark for what may be the capstone of his education agenda: the ratification of a Newark teachers contract that for the first time ties pay to teacher performance.
“By far, this is the most gratifying day of my governorship,” Christie told a crowd gathered at Speedway Elementary School in Newark, with both school officials and union leaders flanking him.
Notwithstanding the fact that a third of the members of the Newark Teachers Union voted against the contract, it was clear victory for the governor, who helped shepherd the deal between his appointed superintendent, Cami Anderson, and a union that has run at least one state-appointed superintendent out of the district.
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