NJEA PAC Questionnaire for 2021 General Election

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"*" indicates required fields

Candidate's Name*
Address*

PLEASE INDICATE YOUR SUPPORT OR OPPOSITION FOR EACH ITEM BELOW:

1. Maintaining employee rights to collective bargaining*
2. Private school vouchers including tuition tax credits and “opportunity scholarships”*
3. Funding county colleges at the 1/3 level required by law*
4. Maintaining seniority rights*
5. Pre-school expansion*
6. Making college more affordable and lowering student debt*


1. POST-PANDEMIC SAFETY & POLICY

As schools prepare for in-person instruction in the fall, school employees remain concerned about the safety of indoor activities due to COVID-19. New Jersey has long ignored school infrastructure issues and many school districts continue to struggle with aging buildings as well as dated ventilation systems. Currently, not all age groups can be vaccinated and there is no mandate for students to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

1. POST-PANDEMIC SAFETY & POLICY (continued)

Furthermore, recovery from the pandemic is going to be a long-term effort. In spite of the hard work of teachers and educational support professionals, student learning was not the same and meeting students’ social-emotional needs is critical to their recovery and learning. Policymakers often create solutions without including education stakeholders in all facets of the discussion.

2. STATE BUDGET/SCHOOL & HIGHER EDUCATION FUNDING

American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) funds and state borrowing have provided public education (K-12 and higher education) the funding to not only meet basic needs, but also to ensure students have the programs they need to recover from the pandemic.

3. PENSIONS
The state has budgeted the full actuarial pension contribution in their 2022 budget.

4. HIGH STAKES TESTING

NJEA believes that standardized tests should be valid, equitable to all students, and serve as one indicator among many that quantify a student’s academic achievement. We do not support standardized testing as a requirement to receive a high school diploma.

5. SCHOOL REGIONALIZATION & CONSOLIDATION

Over the past several years, multiple proposals have surfaced that would eliminate K-8 school districts, require the creation of K-12 regional districts, and create county-wide school districts, sometimes without voter approval or public input.

6. CHARTER SCHOOLS
When the charter school law was proposed, NJEA supported the creation of charter schools as laboratories of innovation. However, charter schools today are not serving this function; they are simply replacement schools which, in many instances, drain funds from, and do not have to meet the same standards as, traditional public schools. NJEA is currently proposing legislation to address charter school financial transparency, while also holding charter schools to the same standards as traditional public schools in the areas of teacher certification and data collection requirements.

7. STRENGTHENING THE TEACHING PROFESSION

NJEA remains concerned that the number of students entering teacher preparation programs is on the decline.