Christie wants teachers to prove their worth through student performance

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is proposing an overhaul to the state’s education system based on data-driven system that would become the basis of teacher hiring and advancement.

Governor Christie says he wants New Jersey to be on the cutting edge in reforming public education. He outlined his plans for reform at a town hall meeting in Old Bridge.
Christie has signed an executive order setting up a task force to develop a data-driven teacher evaluation system. He says teacher pay and tenure should be based on their ability to improve student performance.
New Jersey Education Association President Barbara Keshishian says merit pay for teachers doesn’t work.

“It’s a system that, time and time again, wherever it’s been tried it’s been shown to be ineffective,” she says. “So why do you want to initiate a system that doesn’t work.”
But, New Jersey School Boards Association spokesman Frank Belluscio welcomes Christie’s proposals, saying they will get teachers to perform better and improve the quality of instruction.