Chris Christie lambasts teachers unions after receiving question from teacher in Coralville

CORALVILLE - It wasn't the 'punch in the face” that he thinks teachers unions deserve, but New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie delivered the verbal equivalent to a Cedar Rapids teacher who asked about his plans for public education.

At Christie's town-hall meeting in Coralville on Wednesday, Hoover first-grade teacher Kelly McMahon asked what he would do to hold charter schools accountable. She referred to charter schools that have paid administrators high salaries and offered bonuses to recruit students.

Charter schools, which Christie pointed out are public schools, that don't perform can be shut down. But, he added, that same level of accountability doesn't apply to traditional K-12 schools where teachers unions 'care more about protecting the worst of their membership than they care about bringing out the best in our students.”

'Let's blow up the myth that public schools have been accountable in this country because they haven't been,” Christie said.

The U.S. results - 24th in science and 27th in math among industrialized countries - have come about when 'we're spending more money on public education today than we ever have in our history. They haven't been accountable.”

The biggest problem in public education isn't a lack of funding, but the achievement gap that is 'yawning, and it's disgraceful.”

Christie, who is seeking the GOP presidential nomination, blames teachers unions, which he has called the 'single most destructive force in public education.” He said their elimination would be 'nirvana.”

McMahon, who shot cellphone video of the answer, said Christie is tarring all teachers unions based on his experience with the powerful New Jersey union.

'He didn't answer my question, and I did not appreciate him bashing myself and my fellow colleagues,” McMahon said after the meeting that attracted about 80 people. 'It's not a bad thing to be part of an association.”

McMahon belongs to the Iowa State Education Association and National Education Association, 'not because I'm trying to line my pockets with more money. It's because I need to provide a voice for my kids and families who don't have a voice.”

Iowa City High teacher Jessica Bovey, who asked how Christie would improve teacher morale, didn't appreciate Christie's response.

Christie praised Bovey and other special education teachers and said the most important thing he could do would be to 'give you the ability to be able to do your job the best way you can.”

'I believe teachers go into a profession because they love kids, and they want those children to succeed and grow,” Christie said. People don't go into teaching for the pay but 'because they believe they can make a difference.”

Pay isn't the biggest issue facing teachers, Bovey said, adding, 'He needs to familiarize himself with the issues.”

Christie did get a round of applause when he said that teachers who perform well don't need a union's protection.