Christie goes to court over teacher union contract rules

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Teacher union rules need to be changed for New Jersey to improve its struggling poorer school districts, Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration argued to the state's highest court Thursday.

The governor is asking the Supreme Court to allow the state to override teacher contract rules in 31 mostly urban, poorer districts that the administration says "serve as impediments to a thorough and efficient education."

The court filing comes as Christie has been touring the state promoting his "Fairness Formula," which he says would provide property tax relief in many districts by scrapping the state formula that goes back to a 1985 state Supreme Court ruling that requires a "thorough and efficient" education for the poor districts.