Chris Christie Continues Push For Teacher Tenure Reform [VIDEO]

With time running out before the state budget deadline, Governor Christie continues to push hard for education reform at his latest town hall in Monmouth County.

He reiterated a call for teacher tenure reform on a merit based system and more charter schools. Christie said the amount of state aid sent to failing schools across the state is ridiculous.

“Let’s stop spending $30,000 a year in Asbury Park when less than half of the twelfth graders can read at an eighth grade level…its obscene,” said Christie.

The governor wants to change the teacher tenure system, which would reward the good teachers and make it easier to get rid of the bad ones.

“No where else in the professional world do you get lifetime protection for being on the job for three years and one day with no performance evaluation of how you’re doing …its absurd.”

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“I no longer will protect a public education system that wastes your money and wastes your children’s future…and that’s the fight we are having right now,” said the governor.

Christie wants a bill passed and sent to his desk soon and urged the state Legislature to get on board.

“Let me clear to the Legislature, because there will be some fighting in the coming weeks about this topic. Do not send me a watered down b.s. tenure reform…if you send me weak tenure reform, I will veto it and send it right back to you.”

He also spent a good portion of his rant on bashing the teacher’s union, whom he called a “privileged class.”

“They make $500,000 a year and sit over there at their mansions on State Street in Trenton doing whatever they can to protect their own jobs and the status quo…they have no regard for what’s happening to real families, to kids, to teachers in this state” said Christie.

Courtesy Governor’s Office