Thanks to Democrat Governor Phil Murphy, those who wish to become teachers in New Jersey are now no longer required to pass a basic skills test in order to be certified.
Act 1669 was approved in 2024 and went into effect on January 1, 2025.
The Act eliminates the need for those seeking certification to pass the Praxis Core Test, which measures basic skills for reading, writing, and math.
According to the new law, “[T]he 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 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 a certificate of eligibility, a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing, a provisional certificate, or a standard instructional certificate.”
The Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test is used by over 40 states and territories in the country and includes questions on English and mathematics as well as basic questions on specific subjects.
“We need more teachers. This is the best way to get them,” Democratic state Sen. Jim Beach argued when the bill was passed.
Erika Sanzi, a former educator and the director of outreach at Parents Defending Education, noted, “These are low-rigor tests. We’re not talking about the LSAT here.”
“So the fact that the failure rates on these tests have been so high for so long, that is a problem.”
“That’s really an indictment of not only of the education system that these aspiring teachers are coming out of but the colleges of education that give them a degree even though they’re not remotely qualified.”
“Teacher shortages are real in some subjects, that is true, but eliminating the test requirement, in my opinion, does not bode well for students who are still trying to recover from massive learning losses during the pandemic.”
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