Second GOP presidential debate: on Education

Chris Christie: We need innovative solutions, which teachers unions fight

CHRISTIE: We have to address all students. Before I was governor, that gap was close to 50%. And what we did was institute more charter schools and more renaissance schools, and more public school choice in New Jersey with innovative solutions in cities like Camden. It can be done when you give people choice.

But let's tell the truth to everybody of what this is. This public school system is no longer run by the public. It is run by the teachers unions in this country. [The unions are] taking the worst of their members and defending them rather than advocating for our kids. A president of United States has to take on the teachers union. I did it New Jersey and I will do it as president of United States.

Nikki Haley: More vocational education and less DEI

HALEY: School choice isn't the only answer. We have to acknowledge the fact that 67% of our eighth graders are not proficient in reading or math. The first thing we've got to do is we've got to make sure we catch our kids back up. We have to make sure they can read.

We need to start building things in America again. Let's put vocational classes back in our high schools. And let's get our kids building the things that we know that we can make. When we start to focus on that and really bringing that parental involvement, that's when we'll start to see a difference. But we've got to get parents back included. We've got to quit spending time on this DEI and CRT, and instead focus on financial literacy on digital literacy, and on making sure that our kids know what they need to do to have the jobs of the next generation.