By John Reitmeyer, State House Bureau, The Record.
Governor Christie joined Newark Mayor Cory Booker — the Democrat running for U.S. Senate and the biggest name backing the governor’s opponent for reelection — to celebrate the building of a mixed development of charter schools, retail and housing.
Christie, a Republican seeking a second term, has pressed for more charter schools and for vouchers as a solution to failing public schools in New Jersey, particularly in struggling cities such as Newark.
On Wednesday, Christie called the new Teachers Village development in downtown Newark, built with roughly $100 million in state and federal tax credits, a “great place that will dramatically improve the education of our children, which I think we are all here to celebrate.
“For everybody here who has had a part in this, congratulations, it’s a great day for the city of Newark, and when it’s a great day for Newark, it’s a great day for New Jersey,” Christie said.
But despite the support of Booker, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono took a firm stance against charter schools and vouchers during her own event Wednesday.
Buono, a longtime state senator from Middlesex County running with the support of the New Jersey Education Association, the state’s largest teachers union, was asked about Christie’s push for education changes during a campaign stop at Karnak Corp., a Clark-based manufacturer of roof coatings.
“We need a governor who understands education is not just an expense, it’s an investment,” Buono said.
She said charter schools and vouchers siphon funds away from public schools, and she accused Christie of not fully funding the state’s school aid formula. For each dollar school districts don’t get from the state, Buono said they turn to overburdened property taxpayers to make up the difference.
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