Teachers Can Now Obtain Certification Without Passing Basic Reading, Writing, or Math Tests – One America News Network
OAN Staff James Meyers
12:57 PM – Friday, January 3, 2025
As of January 1st, 2025, a new law in New Jersey eliminates the mandatory reading, writing, and mathematics testing requirement for teacher certification.
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Governor Phil Murphy (D-N.J.) enacted the law in June 2024.
The legislation, known as Act 1669, received overwhelming approval in the state Senate, passing with a 34-2 vote as part of the 2025 state budget.
The legislation specifies: “The State Board of Education shall not require a candidate seeking any instructional certificate, except in the case of a limited certificate of eligibility or a limited certificate of eligibility with advanced standing … to complete a Commissioner of Education-approved test of basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills, including, but not limited to, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, in order to obtain an instructional certificate.”
Democratic legislators claim that loosening the requirements for teaching certifications is an effective strategy to tackle the teacher shortage in the Garden State.
State Senator Jim Beach (D-N.J.), the bill’s sponsor, proclaimed, “We need more teachers. This is the best way to get them.”
A major proponent of the bill, the New Jersey Education Association, argued that the testing requirement was “an unnecessary barrier to entering the profession.”
The average salary for teachers in New Jersey is $81,102 per year, according to the National Education Association.
Other states, including Arizona and California, have also relaxed their teacher certification standards. They have introduced expedited paths for substitute teachers to transition into full-time roles and removed exam prerequisites in response to teacher shortages intensified by COVID-19, as reported by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Moreover, Massachusetts has opted to lower testing standards for students to ensure that more individuals can achieve passing scores rather than compensating for educational gaps.
Meanwhile, in New York, approximately half of students in grades three through eight were deemed proficient in English and Math during the 2022-2023 academic year, despite the state investing nearly double the national average in education.
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