Russ Walsh, a literacy expert, has offered himself as the teacher whose face should be punched.
He writes:
Faced with declining numbers in the polls and with being out bullied by Donald Trump, Christie has decided to come out swinging – at teachers.
Of course the teachers union has no literal face and the leaders of both major teachers unions, Randi Weingarten of the American Federation of Teachers and Lily Eskelson Garcia of the National Education Association are women. I don’t think even a Republican candidate for president could get away with punching a woman in the face. Belittling them, yes. Berating them, yes. Taking away the choice of what they do with their bodies, yes. But not striking a woman, especially with a Hillary running on the Democratic side.
So, taking all this into consideration, I would like to step up and offer Christie my face to punch.
I am well qualified for the job. I have been a public school teacher and administrator for 45 years. I have been the president and the chief negotiator of my local teachers union. I have been sharply critical of Christie’s education policies on my blog. I deserve that punch in the face. I have earned it. Not only that, I live just a stone’s throw from the statehouse in Trenton, so I could meet the Governor there at any time, if he ever happens to get back to New Jersey.
I am sure it would give Christie a boost in the polls and solidify his standing as a violent, bullying looney worthy of Republican voter support. It might even be enough to get him on the stage at one of the primary debates where he could punch Wolf Blitzer in the face and garner even more support.
Sorry, Russ, but the more I think about it, the better I like the idea of Chris Christie swinging at the faces of Randi and Lily. That would not only finish his political career, but probably land him in jail for assault and battery. And knowing Randi and Lily, I have a feeling Christie would come away the worse for the encounter. They are two tough ladies.
Diane Ravitch's blog 
Here’s video of Christie being booed at the racetrack this past weekend in NJ. He can’t even successfully follow an animal act.
http://patch.com/new-jersey/middletown-nj/watch-christie-booed-mercilessly-monmouth-park-after-american-pharoah-win
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Greetings from Asbury Park
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Thanks Russ, but we already have a face punching contender, who can fight Christie over the honor and insult against the the Union’s beoved Common Core.
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/michael-mulgrew-defends-common-core-punch-face-tools-article-1.1895301
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I agree, Diane. Lily and Randi are certainly more ferocious than I. Thanks for sharing my piece.
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ruswalsh: thank YOU!
😃
This posting and the previous two dealing with “punchgate” have got me thinking.
1), For most of the life of this blog, proponents of self-styled “education reform” have come on to demand that those for a “better education for all” should tone down (if not eliminate altogether) their criticisms of the words and deeds (and the frequent deep chasms between the two) of those pushing charters and vouchers and privatization. It’s all a misunderstanding or, at worst, bad faith on the part of those like myself. For example, according to them, there is no such thing as teacher bashing because the really bad behavior is all (or almost all) on the side of those for a “better education for all.” I mean, what about all those teacher union thugs and such?
😱
So here’s a clue for the clueless re why I call the self-styled “education reformers” edubullies and edufrauds and assert that their whole approach to pushing, selling and mandating their rheephorms is based on double think, double talk and double standards.
Three postings on Christie’s self-wounding “punchgate” claptrap. Yet not a comment—not one up to the point I post this comment in this thread—from all the many sanctimonious rheephormsters that have made free and ample use of their sneers, jeers and smears on this blog.
Very recent history on this blog. Diane Ravitch. LATIMES op-ed. Sarah Angel. CCSA. Same opportunity to show their moral fiber—and the rheephormistas had a 100% failure rate there too.
For the denizens of RheeWorld, when it comes to that place where dwell honor, decency, humility, respect—to recycle Gertrude Stein’s phrase: “There’s no there there.”
2), To paraphrase a bit (and out of context too) from Simon and Garfunkel’s MRS. ROBINSON, “Where have you gone, Robert Rendo, Those for a better education for all turn their lonely eyes to you”—
Your skill at rendering a graphic image or two of Chris Christie punching out a teacher or two (e.g., how about a paraplegic one in a wheelchair—I speak from personal knowledge) would be invaluable right about now.
3), And for the NPE’s next annual get-together—please please please. Guerrilla theater a la punch gate would be a winner, I am sure! Maybe with some student zombies—now that would be a nice touch! [The last inspired by that immortal classic, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE AND ZOMBIES by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith, which is proudly described on the back cover as a work that “transforms a masterpiece of world literature into something you’d actually want to read.”]
Thank you again for standing up to an edubully.
😎
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Poor soul… No doubt this is hold over from his grade school experience where many (many) teachers probably stood in the way of his need to bully fellow classmates… “How dare you stop me from hitting Susie… She refused my valentine and deserves a punch in the face! One day I’ll be governor and work to destroy your whole profession!”
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Hahahahaha!
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Political grandstanding at its finest.
Maybe we can all chip in and get Christie a t-shirt that says “Me too!” As a cry for attention.
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Mr. Bloated-and-full-of-bad-processed-snack-foods Chris Christie has made a statement that attacks women. It is a move that is clearly anti-feminist. It is violent.
He is a a bully and monster who should be dealt with . . . . .
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Dear Professor Ravitch,
As you know, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has threatened to punch in the face “the national teachers’ union.” I am not sure which of the two national unions he means, but in any event, as a longtime public school English teacher, I am scared. I know the likelihood is small, but what if I should encounter Governor Christie in a dark alley (or a school hallway), and he takes a swipe at me? After all, I am an NEA member, as well as a member of my state and local teachers’ unions. The Governor is a big man, while I am a spindly bantamweight with glasses. Frankly, I don’t like my chances. And I need my face to teach, I really do.
Professor Ravitch, till now, attacks on teachers have been of the figurative kind. In your blog and elsewhere, you have deftly fended off these attacks. But Governor Christie’s attack seems, well, of a different sort. I am wondering if you have any advice. I have already been doing some thinking myself. Maybe there could be a “Teacher Protection Program,” modeled after the federal Witness Protection Program. Teachers who felt particularly threatened by Governor Christie could be relocated (to a different state, or to a private or charter school) or even be given a new name and occupation (say, as a member of the Alabama School Board), all in an effort to avoid a punch in the face.
What do you think?
Sincerely,
Neil M. Kulick
Newton, Mass.
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Neil,
Teachers collaborate. If you hear that Christie is in your state, find a big brawny buddy to walk with you–male or female. Make sure that no teacher is alone. If it is legal whee you are, get some Mace. Pepper spray will do. Get your school security officer to handcuff him if he displays threatening behavior.
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Conceal carry can even the odds, actually tilt them in your favor-ha ha!
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Diane,
Thank you for your reply, which made me giggle.
~ Neil
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I am embarrassed and mortified that Chrispie is “my” governor. He has been an absentee employee, at full pay, with the perks of an expense account that he has abused and security, all on the taxpayer dime. He has the nerve to speak of teachers in such a disparaging way, despite the FACT that New Jersey is continually at the top of the education heap. He refers to our schools as “failure factories” and belittles and screams when teachers come to his “town hall” meetings and lob him an honest question. What a disgusting bully of a turd he is. Shameful. I hope he never gets the vote again, never, in anything, except perhaps we can vote him the worst NJ governor, ever.
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You are all way too nice. If I see that giant baboon, I’ll punch first ask questions later. Then, please send bail money. Pretty much with Cuomo here in NY.
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..pretty much the same with Cuomo…..
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Isn’t this beyond belief…that a governor and presidential hopeful would threaten to punch TEACHERS in the face?? Not convicted pedophiles, but teachers!! We’ve all seen his “mean face” when anyone asks him a question that irks him. However, there could be a silver lining here. Now, teachers across the nation, not just New Jersey, have gotten another look at the “real” Christie. He may well have influenced many Americans to cross him and others like him off their list.
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Seems like Chrispie (thanks, Donna) never has had much of a chance to begin with. But then again, I thought Unca Ronnie didn’t stand a chance in 1980 so I wouldn’t trust my gauging of the American electorate’s intelligence.
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I am sure it would give Christie a boost in the polls and solidify his standing as a violent, bullying looney worthy of Republican voter support.
I a a NYC teacher. I am a Republican. Your rhetoric classifying all Republicans as seeking violence in a Presidential candidate is as egregious as Christie’s behavior. While I don’t support Christie, I also do not support either Hilary or Randi because Hil is a dishonest individual and Randi sold out the UFT in NYC before on to the AFT, However, what I truly despise are the political statements that seep into commentary. Republicans AND Democrats are equally culpable in screwing with us. Consider Arne Duncan, Obama, Rahm Emmanuel, Andrew Cuomo, just name a few. So please, let us pass on the political rhetoric and focus on the real problems at hand.
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Fed up,
“Your rhetoric classifying all Republicans as seeking violence in a Presidential candidate is as egregious as Christie’s behavior.”
Can you please show were Diane has stated that?
TIA,
Duane
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Duane,
I think the commenter may have been referring to a line in my original post which did not appear in Diane’s reposting
“I am sure it would give Christie a boost in the polls and solidify his standing as a violent, bullying looney worthy of Republican voter support.”
I was not trying to cast all or even some Republican voters as violent. I was characterizing grandstanding bullies like Christie and Trump who seem to appeal to a certain segment of Republican voters.
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PS-As a NYC HS teacher I have become quite used to threats from students, administrators, parents and politicians of all parties .
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I really do worry that Christie’s very public statement will embolden some angry student or parent to take him literally. He’s disgraceful.
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A schoolyard bully
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I would ask any lawyers following this post to comment on the definition of “assault” as it pertains to assault with intent to commit battery. This would seem to have crossed a legal line, though I’m not sure what legal redress is possible.
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I was thinking something similar but came to the conclusion that since the threat was directed at “the union” it would fall under the category of rhetorical speech not directed at anyone in particular, so therefore there is no “crime”.
(I am not a lawyer and I did not sleep at Holiday Inn Express last night!)
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Thanks for this, Duane. Good to hear from you. I am sure he is not legally culpable, but he is morally culpable.
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The Republican Party (which includes Cuomo) is a farce. These people are children. Of course, Mulgrew is a professional wrestler.
And the NY Times is a failure.
http://mobile.nytimes.com/blogs/lens/2015/08/03/visualizing-the-common-core-curriculum/?referrer=
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No, children are not so evil as the GOP.
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Stand in a long line and allow CC to punch everyone one of us in the face so he can post the video on youtube. He’s not very smart – Take advantage of CC’s weaknesses that are too many to count.
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You have to admit though, there’s some kind of justice in this bellowing bully desperately trying to regain his former exalted status. I remember way back in 2011 when he was the hero of ed reform. Wasn’t he on Oprah once with a billionaire? 🙂
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Chiara,
On Oprah: Christie, Cory Booker, and Mark Zuckerberg, announcing Mark’s decision to give $100 million to transform the Newark public schools into a model for the nation.
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I invite him to punch me in the face too. I am a 50-something woman who teaches English in a high-poverty urban school in Nashville, Tennessee. I am not sure why he wants to punch me in the face as I am only trying to do good- but whatever. President Obama came to my school a couple of years ago to speak, so Christie could come now to beat us up. That’s some message Christie wants to deliver. I guess he thinks that teachers are the enemy.
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Christie has no conscience. He’ll promise anything to anyone or say anything he thinks necessary to get power, maintain power, and make money from it.
This is the same Christie who lied to teachers for political expediency before he proceeded to disembowel the profession.
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This talk of violence put me in mind of a comment I made in the reader’s section of an ed blog a few years ago:
“Every time [insert least favorite reformer’s name here] speaks out against teachers, an angel gets punched in the crotch.”
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I do not trust any leader who is a bully. I would not vote for Chris Christie to be street sweeper, as I have seen the way he talks to teachers. All bullies are cowards underneath.
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I laughed so hard at these Christie posts (& comments, especially!)–thanks, all! I would like to thank the BFF (again, I’ve used this on this blog before–it does NOT stand for “Best Friends Forever,” & y’all can imagine:I’m in Diane’s living room, so will use no disparaging language here).
And even The Onion couldn’t make this stuff up.
Finally, taking into account all the comments RE: meeting him in a dark alley or having a bodyguard, I am reminded of a Seinfeld episode I saw the other night–you know, the one where Kramer is taking karate in a class for children, & is fighting (& beating) all the kids? Then, at the end, they gang up on him in the alley. Hmm…
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Please, Christie was valedictorian of his class, he knows what he is doing. Union President in NYC promised to “punch” his members “in the face” for opposing the Union taking Gates’ money for Common Core and supporting it. This is what people do when they are backed into the corner.
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correction: possibly he was president of his class, not valedictorian,
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There is a great T-shirt opportunity here, all union teachers need a T-shirt with their picture on it and Christies big fist coming in for the punch.
A gentle reminder that people are behind unions.
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but are Unions behind people?
I expect Christie’s behavior, as he is competing for Trump in the “outrage” department, but where was the outrage, when our own Union leader wants to punch teachers, parents and children in the face, who are opposed to the pay to play endorsement of Common Core, as he says that he got his and no one is going to take it from him?
http://dailycaller.com/2014/08/08/this-teachers-union-president-will-punch-you-in-the-face-if-you-dont-like-common-core-video/
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Christie is a charlatan and a bully. He suffers from ‘short, fat man’ syndrome, and wants to get back at the world for being bullied in high school..
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As Class President? saying this about a woman would be problematic.
I expect Christie’s behavior, as he is competing for Trump in the “outrage” department, but where was the outrage, when our own Union leader wants to punch teachers, parents and children in the face, who are opposed to the pay to play endorsement of Common Core, as he says that he got his and no one is going to take it from him?
http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/education/michael-mulgrew-defends-common-core-punch-face-tools-article-1.1895301
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