By Kathleen Nugent, DFER NJ State Director
Last year at this time, I wrote a blog post reflecting on 2011 and the gains we made in education reform in New Jersey. They included a strong legislative push for tenure reform and the placement of key leaders with the hiring of Chris Cerf as New Jersey Commissioner of Education and the appointment of Cami Anderson as Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. 2012 proved to be yet another progressive year for education in the state.
Here are some of 2012’s key developments, many building from the previous year’s achievements:
- Tenure reform: In late spring, state Senator Teresa Ruiz’s tenure reform bill known as TEACHNJ passed by a remarkable unanimous vote. Governor Christie then signed it into law. Going forward, both the acquisition and ongoing retention of tenure will be tied to demonstrated effectiveness in the classroom, professional development will be tailored to individual needs, and the process of tenure removal will be quick and less costly.
- Evaluations: A new teacher and administrator evaluation system was launched in pilot form and codified in TEACHNJ. With 30 or so districts now building the system at the ground level and practitioners helping create the roadmap for the state, starting next year all teachers and administrators will be supported by an evaluation system that will help highlight strengths, identify weaknesses, and provide support to educators’ areas of need. Ratings will be four-tiered: highly effective, effective, partially effective, and ineffective.
- Newark Teacher’s Contract: In mid-November, the Newark Teachers Union voted to approve a new contract that includes a merit pay system supported by peer evaluation and student performance metrics. Setting a precedent for New Jersey, for the first time teachers must demonstrate impact in the classroom to earn an increase in pay. An additional key provision and real win for equity was the putting in place of incentives to ensure the best teachers work in the most underperforming schools. Ultimately, the contract should help retain the district’s most effective educators, a key to long-term student achievement success. It was a significant step forward for Newark Public Schools and Superintendent Cami Anderson.