New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is an advocate of substantial education reform.On Monday, April 4th, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie created a necessary task force that will have the responsibility of reviewing the state’s education regulations. According to Christie, the committee will return recommendations that will help to accomplish two goals: 1) eliminate bureaucratic waste in the state’s education system and 2) return decision-making power to the localities.
Despite some resistance from education officials around the state, Christie claims he wants to reduce state-wide regulation on school districts in order to encourage them to innovate.
I would hope that New Jerseyans would consider this logical, not radical. New Jersey is facing is a $10.7 billion budget shortfall for fiscal year 2011. Thus, reforming the $1.8 billion education system to provide the best possible product at the lowest possible price seems at least logical, but closer to vital. Christie agrees.
“We’ve gotten into a pattern over the course of time with increasing money flowing from Trenton attached to increasing regulation flowing from Trenton. I don’t think that’s the best way for us to go at transforming education,” Christie said.
The task force will look at accountability systems, safety requirements, fiscal responsibility and other education requirements, even eliminating unnecessary mandates that are already on the books through new regulation and executive order.
In our current fiscal state, one can only hope that governors across the nation will follow suit.
–David Eads
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