Kudos to Gov. Christie and the successful charters in NJ:

New Jersey will greatly increase its number of public charter schools, adding 23 this year, the Christie administration said Tuesday.

The additions, including nine in Newark, would bring the number of charter schools in New Jersey to 97 by September.

At the same time, Gov. Chris Christie proposed a slew of changes to make it easier for charter schools to open and operate. The proposals would let districts convert failing schools into charters, make it easier for private schools to become public charters, and relax regulations and mandates, such as eliminating tenure at charter schools.

"I want every child...to have the chance to have the education that they and their parents want them to have, and that is not the case now, particularly...in our urban communities," Mr. Christie said at Robert Treat Academy, a Newark charter school he has championed.

The Republican governor, who is entering his second year in office, has made a push for more charter schools a pillar of his attempt to break down the walls of the traditional public education system. There's debate about how effective the schools are, but the state released data Tuesday showing the current New Jersey charters more often than not outperform their peers.

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