NJEA’s officers, President Sean M. Spiller, Vice President Steve Beatty and Secretary-Treasurer Petal Robertson, released this statement following Gov. Phil Murphy’s 2025 State of the State address this afternoon:
“As he enters the final year of his governorship, Gov. Phil Murphy has made it clear that he plans to sprint to the finish line. We are encouraged by his determination to build on past successes in strengthening our schools, protecting our environment, upholding our democracy and making our state more affordable for the families that call New Jersey home.
“His call to bring full-day kindergarten to every district in New Jersey and to continue making pre-K opportunities available to more students in more communities will pay dividends for decades to come. Dollars invested today in education – especially early education – are repaid many times over in a stronger future economy. New Jersey must continue to be a national leader in all aspects of public education, from preschool through college, and getting a strong early foundation will help us achieve that.
“We also applaud Gov. Murphy for highlighting the concerns that so many educators and parents have about the detrimental effects of cellphones in classrooms. As New Jersey moves to limit the distraction that they pose during the school day, we call on the New Jersey Department of Education to issue guidelines directing districts to work with parents and educators in each community and at each school level to determine what specific policy will best serve students’ academic, safety and mental health needs. Shared input and community buy-in will help ensure the success of those policies better than any one-size-fits-all ban imposed from above.
“We also commend Gov. Murphy for his ongoing commitment to funding our pensions. As the first governor in this century to achieve full funding, he has put New Jersey on the road to fiscal responsibility. We look forward to building on that progress by once again making New Jersey’s pension system a tool to attract and retain the dedicated professionals who will keep our schools the best in the nation.
“During the coming year, we look forward to working alongside Gov. Murphy and the Legislature to achieve the goals he spoke about today. We also look forward to electing our endorsed candidate, Sean Spiller as New Jersey’s next governor, so he can build on that progress and help New Jersey achieve even greater heights.”