This afternoon, Gov. Phil Murphy and Acting Commissioner of Education Angelica Allen-McMillan announced that the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) will apply for a waiver from this spring’s federally mandated standardized testing. Dr. Richard Bozza, executive director of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, Patricia Wright, executive director of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association and Marie Blistan, president of the New Jersey Education Association, have issued this statement commending that decision:
“We are pleased that Gov. Murphy and Acting Commissioner Allen-McMillan are standing up for New Jersey’s students and applying for a much-needed waiver from federally mandated standardized testing. In a year filled with challenges and disruptions, the last thing our students need is to lose a single minute of instructional time to take a test that would not yield valid and reliable data or support their learning. Educators look forward to using that reclaimed time to focus on meeting our students’ social, emotional and educational needs. We look forward to working with the NJDOE to gather the relevant, reliable data needed to help us target our efforts efficiently and effectively.
“We are also encouraged by Gov. Murphy’s pledge to direct significant new federal resources toward that critical work. We have all witnessed how this pandemic has disproportionately affected communities with the fewest resources. We know that its effects will be felt long after the immediate crisis has passed. By carefully assessing needs and equitably addressing them with meaningful investment, New Jersey will emerge stronger and better prepared for a bright post-pandemic future.”