The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J., the state's largest newspaper, used an interesting tactic in its coverage of Republican Gov. Chris Christie's ongoing budget cuts, which include major state education funding reductions. The paper asked his own former teachers what they thought of it, and published their views in a big front-page report Sunday.

The answers were not surprising.

As the story by Kathleen O'Brien states:

" ... when Gov. Chris Chrsitie made a frontal assault on New Jersey's public school establishment the opening centerpiece of his administration, few people were more taken aback than his former teachers in Livingston.

That isn' t the Chris Christie they remember.

Besides being bewildered, they've also discovered others blame them for his policies.

“I've had so many people come up to me socially and say, 'My God, what did you teach him? Why is he so angry?'” said Sandy Milan of Whippany, one of Christie's sixth-grade teachers. Milan, now retired, doesn't take it personally, though. If anything, he's proud his former student is now governor.

... For the record, the governor has praised his public school education, even thanking his teachers on election night.

“It's not a case of 'If I ever become governor, I'll get back at them!” he said when told of their comments. “It's exactly the opposite. My school years were happy times for me.”