By Kim Guadagno To make New Jersey better, we must be committed as a state to providing educational excellence for every child through school choice. If we rob our children and families of that choice, the statistics show that we may be simultaneously robbing or severely handicapping their ability to succeed and fulfill their potential. Since charter schools were signed into law a generation ago, they have been a game-changer for thousands of children who would otherwise be locked in failing schools with low expectations. Over the last seven years, charter school students in New Jersey have outperformed their district counterparts on statewide assessments, particularly the percentage of students who scored proficient or advanced. Take the 2013-2014 NJASK exam, on which charter school students outperformed their district counterparts 58 percent to 45 percent in language arts and 69 percent to 56 percent in mathematics. A recent independent report from Stanford University also showed that New Jersey charter school students are making larger learning gains in both reading and math than their traditional public school peers. No wonder thousands of families are still on waiting lists to get into a quality charter school. As a mother of three, my children have all attended some combination of public, private and magnet schools in Monmouth County. I know firsthand that a one-size-fits-all system does not necessarily work best for every child. Instead of taking a step back and limiting parental choice, we should be embracing choice and the transformative impact it can have on our state. Charter schools are laboratories of educational innovation, utilizing creative ways to meet the needs of students, including testing of new teaching and staffing models, implementing rigorous blended approaches and teaching concentrations in STEM and performing arts. We should focus on making the charter school system in New Jersey better and learning from its success to improve our entire education system for our kids. We must also ease facilities and funding hurdles for charter schools by loosening unnecessary regulations and leveling the playing field for them to grow and serve more students. As New Jersey's lieutenant governor, I chair the state's Red Tape Review Commission, which has taken a weed-whacker to over 4,000 pages of unnecessary regulations, but more work needs to be done, especially around the regulations choking the growth and expansion of charter schools. Embracing choice also means following through on opportunity scholarships, which allow low-income students to attend a private school of their choice. Despite the governor pushing for this program for the past seven years, our Legislature's failure to act on this proposal shows a total lack of courage on the part of some of our elected leaders. I believe that choice has its roots in the fundamental ethical and moral commitment to do what is in the best interest of our children. That moral commitment is not conditional. It is unconditional. It cannot be watered down by political factors or fear of loss of control. As James Madison once said, "Knowledge will forever govern ignorance and a people who mean to be their own governors must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives." As a state, our focus should be on driving innovation in education, delivering successful outcomes for children and helping all schools get stronger and better. After all, it is school choice that arms parents and students not only with the knowledge, power and opportunity to choose the educational setting to best fit their needs, but as Madison noted, to be their own governors.

By Eric Scott Campbell Gov. Chris Christie and Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno celebrated their first six months in office Monday night with a rally in the Republican stronghold of Ocean County. "I think we've done pretty well so far for six months," Christie told supporters in a half-hour speech after entering to the soundtrack of "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen. "There's a storm right now in Trenton. They didn't know what to expect down there. We don't mince words, we don't fool around. We take no prisoners. We govern the way New Jersey is: straight ahead, tough and no B.S." The pair addressed an overflow crowd at Community Hall in the township's Forked River section. Ocean County Republican Party Chairman George Gilmore estimated 600 people flocked to a building that can comfortably hold half that many, so hundreds stood outside, most unable to hear. Christie highlighted the landmarks of his term so far, including initiatives to reform pensions and benefits for state workers, capping property-tax increases and lobbying for voters to reject school budgets in which teacher unions would not accept a salary freeze. Christie cut state aid to schools dramatically, then saw more than half of the state's school budgets defeated, including Lacey Township's. Township teachers then opted for a one-year pay freeze as an alternative to certain layoffs. "We fixed at least part of the awful mess Jon Corzine left us, and we're not done yet," Christie said. Christie's wife and three youngest children attended, as did his father and stepmother, who live in Ocean Township. The governor described a good relationship with Guadagno, saying the played gin the morning that legislators voted on the state budget. Earlier, Guadagno recalled sitting in a Dunkin' Donuts one year ago to the day and receiving a phone call from Christie inviting her to join the ticket. "We've kept the campaign promise to you that tomorrow would be better than today," Guadagno said. "What did you expect if you sent two former federal corruption prosecutors to turn Trenton upside down? We did it!" Christie and Guadagno both urged supporters to back the two congressional challengers in the crowd: Jon Runyan in the 3rd District, against Democratic Rep. John Adler, and Anna Little in the 6th District, against Democratic Rep. Frank Pallone. "We can't be self-satisfied," Christie said of the party's recent electoral gains. He joked that he loved standing next to the imposing ex-lineman Runyan: "It's the only time people say, "Who's the little guy?'" In attendance werer Republican officials from throughout the area, including Lacey Township's entire governing body, Ocean County state legislators and freeholders and party leaders from Atlantic and Cape May counties. Most of the crowd appeared to be supporters, although the event was open to the public. One man outside Community Hall wore a sign urging Christie to oppose a Route 9 bypass along railroad right of way in Lacey, a project Republican leaders there have pursued for years. The only time Christie was interrupted, an audience member shouted, "Hannity said you should run for president," referring to Fox News television personality Sean Hannity. "Hannity should talk to Mrs. Christie," the governor replied with a smile.