Tough talk on education
Chris Christie gave his audience fair warning. The famously frank governor of New Jersey, renowned for his harsh rhetoric, was ready, if need be, for a fight. He said he was open to polite, respectful disagreement and dialogue, but he was also quick to caution his listeners during the question-and-answer session at the Harvard Graduate School of Education on Friday (April 29). “If you decide today is the day that ‘I am going to kick the disrupter around,’ let me remind you, I am from Jersey,” he said to laughs, referencing the moniker recently given him by the New York Times. “And in Jersey,” he added, “one good kick deserves another.” But Christie had little need to worry about attacks from the crowd. The audience at Longfellow Hall was receptive, frequently applauding his hard-hitting style. A willingness to talk tough is paramount when it comes to issues involving public education, said the governor, who...