A controversial new law in New Jersey, set to go into effect in 2025, will eliminate the requirement for teachers to pass a reading, writing, and mathematics test to obtain a state certification. The law, known as Act 1669, was signed by Democratic Governor Phil Murphy as part of the state’s 2025 budget. The move is part of an ongoing effort to address the state’s severe teacher shortage, particularly in math and science fields.
Under the new law, individuals seeking an instructional certificate in New Jersey will no longer be required to pass the “basic skills” test, previously administered by the state’s Commissioner of Education. The decision has sparked significant debate, with proponents arguing that it is necessary to quickly address the teacher shortage, while critics warn that lowering standards could negatively impact the quality of education in the state.
According to Democratic Sen. Jim Beach, who sponsored the bill, the change is essential to attracting more individuals to the teaching profession. “We need more teachers,” Beach stated. “This is the best way to get them.”
New Jersey has faced an acute shortage of teachers in recent years, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) subjects. An annual report from the New Jersey Department of Education highlighted the critical need for math and science teachers in the state. Additionally, New Jersey’s teaching profession has struggled with recruitment, as fewer people are entering the field, exacerbating the crisis.
The move to eliminate testing requirements comes after months of advocacy by teachers’ unions, particularly the powerful New Jersey Education Association (NJEA). The NJEA has been a driving force behind the bill, arguing that the basic skills test was an “unnecessary barrier” to entering the profession. According to the NJEA, such exams disproportionately affect candidates from “underrepresented backgrounds” and contribute to the state’s teacher shortage.
New Jersey teachers are some of the highest-paid in the nation, with an average salary of $81,102 annually, according to the National Education Association. However, the teaching profession has faced significant challenges in retaining educators, with many leaving the field due to factors like burnout, low morale, and the rising cost of living in the state.
New Jersey’s decision to eliminate teacher testing requirements follows a broader trend seen in other states grappling with teacher shortages. New York, for example, scrapped its basic literacy requirements for teachers in 2017 in an effort to increase diversity in the profession. Other states, including California and Arizona, have also implemented fast-track certification pathways for teachers, including substitute teachers who wish to become full-time educators, in order to fill vacancies left by the pandemic.
Basic literacy and numeracy are considered foundational skills for educators, and some experts fear that eliminating the test requirement might result in a less qualified teaching workforce.
There is also concern about the long-term impact of such policies on student outcomes. In New York, for example, despite significant investments in education, only about half of students in grades three through eight tested as proficient in English and math during the 2022-2023 school year. New York spends nearly twice the national average on education and has some of the highest-paid teachers in the country, yet academic performance remains stagnant.
Teachers unions continue to wield significant influence in many blue states, including New Jersey. Their efforts to lower certification barriers come amid mounting criticism that unionized public schools have not sufficiently improved learning outcomes. Critics argue that despite high levels of union support and political lobbying, student achievement has stagnated, and the public education system has not adapted quickly enough to the changing needs of students, particularly in the wake of COVID-19 disruptions.
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Why is anybody surprised? Remember this is New Jersey the colony which during the Revolutionary War sided with Britain, whose British appointed Governor was Benjamin Franklin’s son….the son who he never spoke to for the rest of his life!