BY MICHAEL SYMONS • STATEHOUSE BUREAU • OCTOBER 7, 2010
TRENTON — Stung by criticism that he'd caved to the teachers' union after feuding with it for nearly a year, Gov. Chris Christie abandoned the state's best chance to win a $400 million grant rather than appear to compromise, former Education Commissioner Bret Schundler said today.
Schundler — subpoenaed to testify before the Senate Legislative Oversight Committee — said he made few, inconsequential changes to the state's Race to the Top application in order to gain support from the New Jersey Education Association for the state's bid for a federal education reform grant.
But Christie ordered him to abandon the changes, some of which were made with his staff's knowledge,