The blue state where teachers will no longer have to pass basic reading, writing or arithmetic test

Teachers in New Jersey no longer need to pass basic reading, writing and math tests to qualify for a public school job.

The blue state controversial Law 1669which aims to address 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, leading to further debate over teacher certification standards.

“We need more teachers,” Democratic state Sen. Jim Beach argued as the bill passed New Jersey Monitor reports this. “This is the best way to get them.”

Phil Murphy, New Jersey’s Democratic governor, signed the measure last June, eliminating the need for potential teachers to pass the Praxis Core Test, a basic skills exam on topics such as reading, writing and math.

“The State Board of Education shall not require an applicant seeking a Certificate of Eligibility, an Advanced Standing Certificate of Eligibility, a Provisional Certificate, or a Standard Certificate of Instruction to take a test approved by the Commissioners of Education on basic skills in the subject of reading, writing and mathematics. ‘, the law states.

“Including, but not limited to, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, to obtain a Certificate of Eligibility, Advanced Standing Certificate of Eligibility, Provisional Certificate, or Standard Instruction Certificate.”

More than 40 states and territories across the country use the Praxis Core test as a way to hire their teachers.

The exam itself is considered difficult as it requires an in-depth understanding of the content and effective teaching practices.

The law received broad support in the state legislature, by a vote of 34 to 2.

The move was part of a larger effort to address a national teacher shortage in the country, especially affecting states like New Jersey, where schools have faced difficulty hiring enough qualified staff.

Several school districts across the state faced serious shortages when students returned to their desks after summer break four months ago.

“We are at a critical juncture where talented teachers 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 at the start of the school year. Chalkbeat Newark reported.

Many of the vacancies across the state are in hard-to-fill positions, including science, world languages ​​and special education.

Although the new law eliminates basic skills testing, the state will still require teachers to have a bachelor’s degree and pass specialized tests within their field.

According to the New Jersey Education Association, the law will remove an “unnecessary barrier” for those who want 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 one statement, NJEA officials said qualified candidates who have completed their degrees and completed student teaching “should not be excluded from our classrooms based on a one-time standardized test that cannot effectively measure the knowledge or skills necessary to become a to be a great teacher. .’

However, Act 1669 has drawn condemnation from many, including billionaire Elon Musk.

“So teachers don’t have to be able to read in New Jersey?” Musk posted on X on Sunday.

“It seems like that makes it a challenge to teach children 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 — also publicly rejected the law.

According to Sanzi, the entire purpose of the test is to screen teachers who lack “basic competencies in reading, writing and math” and that New Jersey has eliminated a “very low accuracy test.” Christian Post reports this.

“It’s a big red flag that so many aspiring teachers are failing the test — and it’s indefensible that the teachers union and state legislature decided that the solution to that problem was to eliminate the test altogether,” she told the newspaper.

“This decision to lower the most basic standards does not bode well for students, but is a victory for unions,” she added. “Only bad.”

Their comments have sparked a broader discussion online about balancing the teacher shortage while maintaining the quality of education.

Many people have shared concerns that bypassing basic tests could undermine the quality of education, especially when it comes to subjects that are critical.

‘I have been teaching for 25 years. This infuriates me,” read one comment on X. “I worked hard to get my degree while working full time and raising three children. If I have time to study and pass these tests, these young kids can do it too.”

Another response read: ‘Absolutely incredible. That’s why they hire babysitters.’

But New Jersey isn’t the only state that has tried to address its 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 wanted to teach.

The following year, Arizona passed a law that allowed aspiring teachers to teach in the classroom and earn their degrees at the same time.

According to one Gallup survey conducted in 2022K-12 teachers have one of the highest burnout rates compared to other industries.