Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images(PEMBERTON, New Jersey) — Governor Chris Christie says Common Core education standards are “not working” for New Jersey, and he wants the state to try a new, more Jersey-focused system.
“It’s now been five years since Common Core was adopted,” Christie said. “And the truth is that it’s simply not working.”
The presumed Presidential hopeful joins ranks of Republican governors who are critical of the education standards, including Bobby Jindal of Louisiana and Scott Walker of Wisconsin. Common Core is currently in use in over 40 states, including New Jersey.
The system creates a set of Math and English teaching standards for K-12 classrooms. South Carolina and Indiana, two states that have successfully backed out of the system have come under fire for creating their own standards that are criticized for being nearly identical copies of Common Core.
Christie’s remarks come in sharp contrast to the support Florida Governor Jeb Bush has recently expressed for the education standards. Neither has announced whether they will run for president in 2016, though both are considered potential candidates.
“It is time to have standards that are even higher and come directly from our communities,” read Christie’s prepared remarks. “This new era can be even greater by adopting new standards right here in New Jersey – not 200 miles away on the banks of the Potomac River.”
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