Did New Jersey Governor Lose $400 Million for Students?
By Kevin Hart In June, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie made a public spectacle of tossing aside a federal Race to the Top application that was written with collaboration among state education officials, the New Jersey Education Association, and other key education stakeholders. He publicly insisted that he could write a better application that would enhance the state’s chances at winning a $400 million share of the $4.35 billion in Race to the Top funds. Now, it appears Christie’s political theater may have cost New Jersey a fortune. When the U.S. Department of Education yesterday announced 10 winners of round two of the $4.5 billion Race to the Top competition New Jersey finished eleventh — just three points behind tenth-place finisher Ohio, which is slated to receive as much as $400 million for its schools. A few extra points – such as the points that would have been available by collaborating with NJEA and other stakeholders – may have made the difference between walking away with $4
