New Jersey Governor Chris Christie will propose extending the public school calendar and lengthening the school day in a speech he hopes will help him rebound from an apparent political payback scheme that threatens to damage his second term and could cut short any ambitions to run for president.
According to excerpts of his State of the State address obtained by The Associated Press, Christie, an early front-runner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, will make the case on Tuesday that children who spend more time in school graduate better prepared academically.
Details of the plan will be left for another day.
Christie, who won re-election by 22 points in a Democrat-leaning state, hopes to regain his footing after being shaken by revelations that key aides orchestrated massive traffic backups by closing lanes near the George Washington Bridge, one of the world’s busiest spans. Four Christie loyalists have been fired or resigned for the apparent political vendetta against a Democratic mayor who wouldn’t endorse Christie.
The governor apologized, and during a lengthy news conference last week said he was ‘blindsided’ by his staff’s involvement.
According to excerpts of his State of the State address obtained by The Associated Press, Christie, an early front-runner for the 2016 Republican presidential nomination, will make the case on Tuesday that children who spend more time in school graduate better prepared academically.
Details of the plan will be left for another day.
Christie, who won re-election by 22 points in a Democrat-leaning state, hopes to regain his footing after being shaken by revelations that key aides orchestrated massive traffic backups by closing lanes near the George Washington Bridge, one of the world’s busiest spans. Four Christie loyalists have been fired or resigned for the apparent political vendetta against a Democratic mayor who wouldn’t endorse Christie.
The governor apologized, and during a lengthy news conference last week said he was ‘blindsided’ by his staff’s involvement.