Give PARCC a chance, says Christie

Gov. Chris Christie urged parents during a town hall event this week not to opt their children out of the controversial Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers (PARCC) assessment tests.

During Wednesday's event in Fair Lawn, Christie said he is reserving judgement on PARCC despite his concerns about the Common Core standards, which are unpopular with many conservative voters.

"We have to test," he said, reserving judgment. "I'm not going to kill PARCC before we even take PARCC."

The tests began this week for many school districts across the state.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.