TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Senate Education Committee has favorably reported Senate Bill No. 1287, a significant legislative proposal aimed at modifying the state’s teacher certification process. This bill proposes the removal of the basic skills test requirement for teacher certification, which includes tests in reading, writing, and mathematics.
Introduced by Senators James Beach and Shirley K. Turner, the bill is set to streamline the certification process for teachers. It targets the elimination of the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test among others, thereby simplifying the pathway to obtaining various types of teaching certificates such as the certificate of eligibility, certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, provisional certificate, and standard instructional certificate.
The bill was pre-filed for the 2024-2025 session and has undergone a technical review to incorporate necessary changes. The Senate committee’s report indicates that the bill, as amended, matches its counterpart, Assembly Bill No. 1669, which was also reported favorably on the same date.
Under the proposed changes, the State Board of Education will no longer mandate a Commissioner of Education-approved test for obtaining these teaching certificates. This legislative move is seen as a step to remove obstacles to teacher certification, especially for those who meet all other educational and programmatic requirements.
The bill’s proponents, including co-sponsors Senators Diegnan and Burgess, believe that these changes will help attract more qualified individuals into the teaching profession by making the certification process less cumbersome and more accessible.
- Democrats push bill to shield non-tenured teachers as NJ school funding cuts deepenTRENTON, N.J. – Facing mounting backlash from educators and parents, New Jersey Democrats are moving to protect non-tenured teachers from being swept up in a new wave of budget-driven layoffs…
- Orthodox Voters Join Forces with Mo Hill Club to Elect Democrat Eagan to Toms River School BoardTOMS RIVER, NJ – Two warring factions of the Toms River Republican Party joined forces on Tuesday with the Orthodox Jewish community to re-elect longtime NJEA boss Kathy Eagan to…
- New Jersey College Student Identified as Co-Conspirator in Nationwide ISIS Halloween Terror PlotGlassboro, NJ – A Rowan University student was among several individuals arrested by federal agents this week in connection with what authorities describe as a foiled ISIS-inspired terror plot planned…