ATLANTIC CITY -- Citing a "broken and unaffordable" education system and lengthy waiting lists for charter schools, Gov. Chris Christie on Thursday proposed sweeping reforms that he said would give charter schools greater flexibility in hiring staff and better access to high quality facilities.

The proposals would give charter schools a chance to develop and propose their own standards for teacher certifications and hire chief financial officers who are certified public accountants but do not hold a master's degree, Christie said.

New Jersey would also require state-controlled school districts to lease any available school buildings to charter schools and mandate that all public school districts notify the state of unoccupied school facilities available for lease.

Christie announced the proposed reforms in front of hundreds of charter school teachers and administrators at the New Jersey Charter School's Conference in Atlantic City.

"Our commitment to ensure the success of charter schools in New Jersey has never been stronger," Christie said. "These reforms will heighten the benefits of innovative, accountable learning environments for children, their parents and our communities."

Charter schools are public schools that operate independently of traditional school districts. They are run by appointed school boards and receive per-student payments from the school districts students leave.

"We are excited to hear that the administration will be moving those proposals forward," said Nicole Cole, president of the New Jersey Charter Schools Association. "They are really meaningful and are going to have a huge impact on our schools."

The proposed reforms will need to be approved by the state Board of Education, according to the charter school association.

The state's largest teachers union, the New Jersey Education Association, said the proposals amount to doubling down on Christie's "failed charter school policies."

NJEA President Wendell Steinhauer predicted the proposals will lead to to increased charter school expansion and decreased charter school accountability.

Christie has been an advocate for charter schools since he took office and pledged during his 2016 State of the State address to aggressively prioritize deregulation for charter schools.

The proposals were developed after Christie met with charter school leaders and asked what barriers are holding them back, he said.

"All of these ideas came from you," Christie said Thursday.

Other proposed reforms include:

Expediting the charter renewal process for high-performing charter schools

Allowing charter school to apply for public funds for renovation, expansion and reconstruction of their facilities.

Allowing single-gender charter schools.

Allowing single-purpose charter schools. For example: A school dedicated to serving students high-school age or older who need more than four years to graduate.

Granting permission for weighted charter school lotteries that give economically disadvantaged students higher odds of winning admission.

Christie has approved more than 40 new charter schools since taking office, and the number of charter school students in the state should surge past 50,000 after 16 charter school expansions approved earlier this year, according to the state Department of Education.

His administration has also closed 17 charter schools since 2010 because of academic, operational or financial deficiencies, according to the state.

Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. Find NJ.com on Facebook.