At the conclusion of the Panel Discussion of New Jersey Senate and Assembly Members during the NJPSA Annual Legislative Conference, Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-6), Chair of the Assembly Education, was presented with the NJPSA Distinguished Achievement in Education Award. Assemblywoman Lampitt is only the sixth recipient of this award.
Pam Lampitt, who was first elected in 2006, represents New Jersey’s sixth legislative district in Camden County. She is currently the longest serving female legislator in the General Assembly. Her experience is evident in her leadership style where she takes the time, no matter the issue or level of political pressure, to listen to all interested stakeholders and collaboratively find the best solutions.
In presenting the award before more than 150 principals, assistant principals, supervisors, directors, and other educational leaders, all of whom stood and applauded in grateful recognition and appreciation of the Assemblywoman’s dedication, support, and contributions to public education, Director of Government Relations Debra Bradley thanked Lampitt for her steadfast willingness to engage in dialogue to understand the nuances of all sides of an issue. These comprehensive conversations often lead to the introduction, advancement, termination, or, in many cases, improvement of legislation so that, if it is passed and signed, it has the best chance to make a positive difference in our schools. She then listed a short example of the many bills that Lampitt shepherded through the process to become law.
During the Assemblywoman’s tenure, she has been the prime sponsor of dozens of bills that have been signed into law by four governors that have enhanced the lives of New Jerseyans:
- Fighting for women’s rights and gender equity, she sponsored the Equal Pay Act;
- She sponsored legislation ensuring that every student has access to nutritious food during the school day,
- Further addressing the safety and welfare of our students, she has sponsored legislation:
- addressing school security concerns,
- legislation to protect students from sexual misconduct in schools,
- legislation addressing Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying, and
- legislation to provide greater access to student mental health services in our schools.
- Legislation aptly called “the Lampitt law” that streamlines the transfer of credits from community colleges to four year institutions to ensure that New Jerseyans have access to affordable, high quality higher education; and
- Recognizing the importance of family and family care, she sponsored the Earned Sick Leave law to ensure that employees have the ability to care for themselves and their loved ones without fear for their jobs or financial security.
In her tenure as Chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee, Pam Lampitt has focused her recent committee work on issues faced by schools both during and after the pandemic. No legislator has done more to thoughtfully address the crisis in school staffing as evidenced by the recent release of a comprehensive bill package on March 4 that:
- addresses certification barriers,
- provides loan redemption programs,
- creates Educator Scholarships at the state level,
- supports minority recruitment and “grow your own” programs with resources to strengthen the educator pipeline, and
- eliminates the Praxis basic skills test for certification.
Assemblywoman Lampitt drafted a bill that will create a statewide database of novice teachers to assist in hiring efforts. The bill also took NJPSA members’ practical suggestions to have the NJDOE conduct regional job fairs to assist in school hiring efforts. She is leading the discussion on issues of post-pandemic learning acceleration, seeking to provide constructive tools, not criticism, to this important work.
Further, it was Assemblywoman Lampitt who insisted on a collaborative dialogue during the lame duck session on the issue of educator evaluation. Her legislative process led to a positive approach that maintains teacher and leader quality while a Task Force of experienced educators takes the time to analyze our current system for potential changes.
It has been recently reported that Assemblywoman Lampitt will seek election as the Clerk of Camden County, and if elected in November, will resign her seat in the Assembly. NJPSA wishes her the very best of luck in this endeavor and congratulates her on a tremendous career in the State Legislature. Her triumphs as Chairwoman of the Assembly Education Committee will be felt by the entire education community for many years to come.