[FoxNews] The New Jersey Education Association called the test requirement a 'barrier' for educators.
Teachers in New Jersey will no longer be required to pass a basic reading, writing and mathematics test to be eligible for public schools, according to a new law.
Act 1669, which was signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy, D., in June, went into effect on Wednesday at the start of the new year. The law aims to tackle teacher shortages in the state by removing what the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA), a teachers’ union, called a "barrier" to certification in 2023.
The law states, "[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.
"Sure, they're morons, but they fill a position"
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