New jersey's attempt to remove public teacher certifications and testing advances again

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.

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