Today’s NJ Spotlight reflects on the similarities between the educational agendas of NJ Gov. Chris Christie and President Obama. In spite of the overlap, Christie will keynote the Republican Convention tonight.

Observers say it speaks to how mainstream broad-based education reform has become, although it’s not likely to be a defining issue in the presidential election, where the economy and the broader role of government dominate. 

“Imagine if Chris Christie endorsed Obama’s healthcare plan,” said Andrew Rotherham, a well-known education blogger and policy consultant out of Washington, D.C. “Would he have been picked for the keynote? Probably not.”  

Rotherham added that education is “just not that partisan any more. There is so much overlap now.”

Also see my column here.