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Legislation Signed Addressing Teacher Shortage

Gov. Phil Murphy today signed S896 w/GR into law, which prohibits the State Board of Education from requiring the completion of the Educative Teacher Performance Assessment (“edTPA”) as a condition of eligibility for a certificate of eligibility with advanced standing (“CEAS”) or certificate of eligibility (“CE”).

The law addresses the teacher shortage in New Jersey, which is also a national crisis.

“As we face a national teacher shortage, we must work to establish effective and efficient solutions to grow this critical workforce on behalf of New Jersey’s students,” said Murphy. “By eliminating edTPA, we will streamline a process that has previously acted as a barrier in the transition between sitting in a classroom and leading a classroom. In New Jersey, we recognize that teaching is not only a career, but a calling. I am proud to sign legislation that empowers educator prep programs to appropriately assess their candidates, which will ensure that New Jersey continues to produce the nation’s best educators.”

The legislation signed today eliminates the State Board of Education’s ability to require candidates to complete a Commissioner of Education approved performance-based assessment, including the edTPA, as a condition of certification. Rather, under the legislation signed today, CEAS and CE candidates will be required to complete performance-based assessments as part of their EPP, beginning with teaching candidates who complete their EPP in the spring of 2024.

“In the midst of a teacher shortage, we should assist teaching candidates rather than further obstruct their opportunity to teach in a classroom,” said Senator Shirley K Turner. “The edTPA assessment has been a hindrance to the progression of current and prospective educators. It is a costly, unnecessary, and unreliable exam that has complicated the accreditation process for teaching candidates. Eradicating this burdensome assessment is a step in the right direction to make New Jersey a more equitable state.”

“When fighting a national teacher shortage, we must find ways to recruit and hire more, qualified educators quickly,” said Assemblyman Anthony Verrelli. “With this bill, we remove another barrier to teaching for those who want to work with the next generation of students.”

“At a time when districts across New Jersey are facing an unprecedented teacher shortage, the Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools applauds the Legislature and the Governor’s action to eliminate the edTPA assessment as a requirement for teacher certification,” said NJ Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools Executive Director Jackie Burke. “The removal of this costly and unnecessary burden will allow our schools to attract more candidates into the teaching profession.”

Chris Emigholz, chief government affairs officer at the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, commented, “Employers in various industries throughout the state are having trouble finding workers and teaching is no different. We salute any effort to address workforce gaps.”

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