What They're Saying About Chris Christie's Education Plan Speech in Ames, Iowa on June 11, 2015

What They're Saying About… “Chris Christie Lays Out Education Plan”
Honorary Chairman Governor Christie Offered A “Wide-Ranging” Series Of “Detailed Proposals To Tackle Exploding Higher Education Costs And Struggling K-12 Public Education Systems”

Headlines …
“In Iowa, Christie Slams Unions, Details Education Agenda”
– The Washington Times
“Christie Lays Out Education Agenda In Iowa”
– Des Moines Register
“Chris Christie Spells Out Education Plan”
– CNN
“Christie Proposes ‘Unbundling’ College Costs, Changing Teacher Contract Rules”
– Radio Iowa
“Christie Wants Colleges To Be More Open About Their Spending”
– The Associated Press
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What They’re Saying …
Des Moines Register: “In a wide-ranging education policy speech at Iowa State University, Chris Christie took aim at unions and college spending and called for teacher tenure reform, merit pay, charter schools and greater disclosure of university expenses.” (Joel Aschbrenner, “Christie lays out education agenda in Iowa,” Des Moines Register, 6/11/15)
• “Darrell Jessen, of Iowa Falls … [said] Christie talked about ‘the strangle-hold teachers unions have on the education system" and "putting power back in the hands of parents and students.’”
Radio Iowa: “Ken Anderson of Marshalltown likes Christie’s ‘direct approach.’ ‘I’ve been following him for a couple of years, so I’ve got a lot of interest in Governor Christie and this is my first opportunity to hear him in person,’ Anderson said. ‘I was impressed and still have strong support for what he might do.’” (O. Kay Henderson, “Christie Proposes ‘Unbundling’ College Costs, Changing Teacher Contract Rules,” Radio Iowa, 6/11/15)
• “Thurston Gable of Harley is an Iowa State student who plans to be a history teacher. ‘As someone that’s got a pretty large stake in education for the rest of my life, I loved everything he stood for,’ Gable said. ‘I want to work hard. I want to be judged by my own merits and my own work ethic and not by what a union negotiator says on behalf.’”
Politico: “New Jersey Gov. … Chris Christie laid out a multi-pronged higher education agenda Thursday, and a key part — unsurprisingly — is college affordability.” (Allie Grasgreen, “Christie: Debt-free college is 'wrong,’” Politico, 6/11/15)
• “Christie also wants to consider approaches like tax credits for donors to higher education grant organizations, and income-share agreements, where students repay private financing received in college with some percentage of their income in the future.”
CNN: “Gov. Chris Christie blasted Democratic plans for free college in an hour-long speech on education Thursday, offering instead a list of detailed proposals to tackle exploding higher education costs and struggling K-12 public education systems.” (Ashley Killough, “Chris Christie spells out education plan,” CNN, 6/11/15)
• “Speaking to a packed room at Iowa State University, the New Jersey Republican said the push for debt-free college programs is ‘wrong’ and a ‘typical liberal approach.’”
• “Instead the New Jersey governor proposed a policy called income share agreements, which would require students to pay a percentage of their salary for a certain period of time after they graduate, rather than take out student loans. The percentage they pay depends on how successful they are.”
Washington Times: “Mr. Christie relayed how he helped push through reforms on teacher tenure in his state and merit pay to schools in Newark while expanding charter schools and the state’s public school choice program, but also noted that a 'last in, first out' layoff policy he’s fought against still exists.” (David Sherfinski, “In Iowa, Christie slams unions, details education agenda,” Washington Times, 6/11/15)
• “To make college more affordable, Mr. Christie raised the idea of income share agreements, where students pay for college with a percentage of future earnings, as well as potentially holding classes at off-peak hours to reduce costs.”
The Associated Press: “Christie took aim at tuition costs, a concern that has come up frequently during his travels to early-voting states.” (Jill Colvin, “Christie blasts teachers unions, colleges 'drunk on cash,'” The Associated Press, 6/11/15)
• “Christie said schools need to be more open about their finances and unbundle costs so students don't have to pay for services they're not using. He said they should have to do so as a condition for getting federal aid and grants.”
• “New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday proposed withholding federal aid to colleges that refuse to provide more transparency in their finances and endorsed letting students pay down their loans with community service.”
• “Speaking at Iowa State University in Ames, … [Christie] also blasted teachers unions for putting 'the comfort of adults ahead of the potential of our kids.' He held out concessions he'd won on tenure protections in New Jersey as a model for the nation. His speech on education was his fourth in a policy series ...”
The Wall Street Journal: “Gov. Chris Christie endorsed income-sharing agreements and other proposals to help make college tuition affordable, while attacking teacher unions for impeding change on the public school level.” (Heather Haddon, “Christie Says Many Colleges ‘Drunk on Cash’,” WSJ, 6/11/15)
• “Mr. Christie threw support behind income-sharing agreements, a student loan alternative where investors earns a certain percentage of pupil’s future income in exchange for tuition funding now. He also supported a system that would reward students with tuition grants in exchange for community service.”
The New York Times: “[M]r. Christie spoke at length on his educational record in New Jersey and how that would inform his vision for the country. And … Mr. Christie spent the majority of his time tackling the issue of student debt in higher education, another frequent talking point on the campaign trail.” (Nick Corasaniti, “Chris Christie Lays Out Education Plan,” New York Times - First Draft , 6/11/15)
• “Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey leaned on the podium with his right elbow, his standard let-me-give-it-to-you-straight stance, and gave one of his classic blunt warnings, this time setting up a nearly hourlong speech laying out his educational platform.”
NBC News: “[Christie] offered a number of proposals aimed at cutting the cost of a four-year degree, including discounted weekend classes and an itemized tuition bills that would give students a more complete picture of how schools are spending their money.” (Andrew Rafferty, “Chris Christie: Tuition Rising Because Colleges 'Drunk on Cash,’” NBC News, 6/11/15)