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By Star-Ledger Editorial Board "...And that probably makes sense. New Jersey will have a second shot at this money in June, and by then, Christie will have an education plan of his own...So the Department of Education will waste its time devising a reform blueprint that has no chance of being enacted under Christie, and so has almost no chance of winning this competition..."
Gov.-elect Chris Christie's team got its signals crossed on education funding application
By Star-Ledger Editorial Board/The Star-Led...
December 11, 2009, 5:07AM
A few weeks ago, a spokesman for Chris Christie said the governor-elect was "completely frustrated" by Gov. Jon Corzine because his administration decided against applying for a new federal grant for education in this time of pressing need.
Now, it turns out, the request to stand down came from the Christie transition team itself. Corzine’s people were responding to a written request from Susan Cole, the president of Montclair State University, made on behalf of Christie.
Okay, during a transition, you can’t expect the new team to have its act together. But how about a tad more humility, at least until it gets the facts straight?
The tiff is over a $4 billion pot of money the Obama administration wants to award to states that come up with the best plans for education reform. Corzine’s people were working on it until they received Cole’s request to stop.
And that probably makes sense. New Jersey will have a second shot at this money in June, and by then, Christie will have an education plan of his own.
Now, however, politics has entered the calculation. In response to the criticism from Christie, Corzine folded, as usual, and has agreed to apply now. So the Department of Education will waste its time devising a reform blueprint that has no chance of being enacted under Christie, and so has almost no chance of winning this competition.
This is nonsense, on top of nonsense.
