Christie to speak at ISU, in Cedar Rapids

Chris Christie has added two events to his Iowa trip next week: a policy speech on education at Iowa State University and a town hall meeting at a startup hub in Cedar Rapids.

The New Jersey governor and potential 2016 presidential contender — he has visited Iowa four times in 2015 — is returning to the first-in-the-nation caucus state to speak at the Polk County Republicans’ spring dinner on June 11.

Christie will speak earlier that day about K-12 and higher education and the potential to use New Jersey education reform as a model for the nation, said Samantha Smith, a spokeswoman for Christie’s political action committee. The event is at 11 a.m. in the upper terrace of the ISU Memorial Union.

It will be the fourth recent policy speech Christie has given, following talks on entitlement reform, economic growth and foreign policy. Christie made news last week when he announced that he no longer supports Common Core, the federal education standards that have been a target for many potential GOP presidential candidates.

Christie will speak from 9:30 to 11 a.m. June 12 at the Iowa Startup Accelerator at 415 12th Ave. S.E. in Cedar Rapids. The event is part of his “Tell It Like It Is” town hall series.