Teachers in New Jersey are no longer required to pass basic reading, writing and mathematics tests to be eligible for a position at a public school.
The blue state’s controversial Act 1669, which is intended to tackle the state’s critical teacher shortage by making it easier for aspiring educators to join the profession, officially went into effect on January 1.
The change has drawn criticism, sparking further debate around the standards for teacher certification.
‘We need more teachers,’ Democratic state Sen. Jim Beach argued when the bill was passed, the New Jersey Monitor reported. ‘This is the best way to get them.’
Phil Murphy, New Jersey’s Democratic governor, signed the measure this past June – eliminating potential educators from having to pass the Praxis Core Test, a basic skills exam covering topics such as reading, writing and math as a result.
‘The State Board of Education shall not require a candidate seeking a certificate of eligibility, a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, a provisional certificate or a standard instructional certificate to complete a Commissioners of Education-approved test of basic reading, writing and mathematics skills,’ the law states.
‘Including, but not limited to, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, in order to obtain a certificate of eligibility, a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, a provisional certificate, or a standard instructional certificate.’
More than 40 states and territories in the nation use the Praxis Core test as a way to hire their teachers.
Teachers in New Jersey are no longer required to pass basic reading, writing and mathematics tests to be eligible for a position within public schools due to a new law that went into effect on January 1
In June, Phil Murphy, New Jersey’s Democratic governor, signed the controversial Act 1669 – a bill that aims to tackle teacher shortages in the state by making it easier for aspiring educators to join the profession
The exam itself is deemed difficult because it requires a deep understanding of the content and effective teaching practices.
The law received broad support in the state legislature, receiving a 34-2 vote in passing.
The move was part of a larger effort to confront a national shortage of educators in the country, which particularly effects states like New Jersey, where schools have faced difficulties in hiring enough qualified staff.
Several school districts in the state were suffering from a severe shortage as students headed back to their desks after summer break just four months ago.
‘We find ourselves at a critical juncture where talented educators are leaving the profession at an alarming rate,’ Colleen Grywacz, a teacher in the Hackettstown school district, said at a public hearing in September.
In Paterson, there were more than 150 open teaching positions when the school year started, Chalkbeat Newark reported.
Many of the vacancies across the state are in hard-to-fill positions – science, world languages and special education being a few.
While the new law eliminates testing for basic skills, the state will still require teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree along with passing specialized tests within their subject area.
The law was met with broad support in the state’s legislature and received a 34-2 vote in passing
The law has earned condemnation from many, including billionaire Elon Musk
According to the New Jersey Education Association, the law will remove an ‘unnecessary barrier’ to those who wish to teach but may not perform well on standardized tests.
The association, which represents the state’s largest teachers union, celebrated Murphy’s signing of the bill at the time.
In a statement, officials of the NJEA said that qualified candidates who have earned their degree and completed their student teaching ‘should not be barred from our classrooms on the basis of a one-off standardized test that cannot effectively measure the knowledge or skills needed to be a great teacher.’
However, Act 1669 has attracted condemnation from many, including billionaire Elon Musk.
‘So teachers don’t need to know how to read in New Jersey?’ Musk posted to X on Sunday.
‘Seems like that would make it challenging to teach kids how to read.’
Erika Sanzi, director of outreach for Parents Defending Education – an organization that advocates for parents to have a voice in what their children learn in school – has also publicly blasted the law.
According to Sanzi, the entire purpose of the test is to screen teachers who lack ‘basic competency in reading, writing and math’ and that New Jersey had eliminated a ‘very low rigor test,’ the Christian Post reported.
‘It is a major red flag that so many aspiring teachers fail that test – and it is indefensible that the teachers’ union and state legislature decided that the solution to that problem was to eliminate the test altogether,’ she told the outlet.
‘This decision to lower the most basic standards does not bode well for students but is a win for the unions,’ she added. ‘Just bad all around.’
Their remarks have ignited a larger conversation on the internet surrounding the balance of the teaching shortage while maintaining the quality of education.
Many people have shared their worries that bypassing basic testing may undermine the quality of teaching, especially around subjects that are crucial.
‘I have been teaching for 25 years. This infuriates me,’ read one comment on X. ‘I worked hard to get my degrees while working full-time and raising 3 children. If I found time to study and pass these tests, these young kids can too.’
Another comment read: ‘Absolutely unbelievable. So they’re hiring babysitters instead.’
But New Jersey is not the only state that has attempted to address the declining teacher shortage by changing its standards.
In 2021, California Governor Gavin Newsroom signed the TK-12 Education Trailer Bill, which eliminated two different exams for potential teachers as long as they could demonstrate basic skills and knowledge of the subject they plan to teach.
The very next year, Arizona passed a law that allowed aspiring educators to teach in the classroom while simultaneously obtaining their degree.
According to a Gallup survey conducted in 2022, K-12 teachers have one of the highest burnout rates compared to other industries.
