By NJEA Government Relations Staff
While NJEA members much prefer to focus on their students and their school communities, we know that our schools are governed by elected leaders—from those who volunteer their time and energy to serve on school boards to those elected at the county, state and national levels. To ensure the best outcomes for our students, we must engage with politicians and the political process. Moreover, it’s our civic duty. That includes championing legislation that benefits our schools and supporting candidates who believe in public education.
It has been a challenging year for everyone as we navigate this second full year of the pandemic. But from a legislative and member-engagement perspective, there was much to celebrate. We achieved those accomplishments together through advocacy in the Statehouse and through organizing our fellow members across New Jersey to speak out and take action: to stand up, be counted, and fight for our values as educators and as a union.
NJEA Legislative advocacy highlights
As we reviewed and analyzed legislation throughout the year, we did so through the lens of association policy set by members through their representatives on the NJEA Delegate Assembly (D.A.). We were inspired by the mission, vision and goals of our union, the voices of members serving on NJEA committees, and our association’s focus on racial, social and economic justice.
NJEA advocated for legislation and policies that supported faculty, staff, students and their families as we made our way through the ongoing pandemic. In partnership with other education organizations, we promoted learning acceleration to ensure students are meeting learning standards for the 2021-22 school year. We called for and supported legislation to help students receive more mental health services, achieve food security and have reliable internet access.
NJEA advocated for a federal testing waiver. While a full waiver was not granted, most of the testing that had been scheduled for spring 2021 was postponed.
Understanding that issues beyond COVID did not go away while the pandemic raged, NJEA stayed on top of other matters that affect schools, students and communities. Protecting the professional expertise of our members, NJEA successfully advocated to ensure parents don’t have the final say on grade retention. We also helped ensure students are safe from lead poisoning and other environmental dangers.
NJEA advocated for diversity and inclusion in our schools, supporting legislative and policy measures to make curricula more inclusive and amplifying the Amistad mandate. Being mindful that it is vital that our students see themselves reflected in those in positions of leadership, NJEA continued to voice association support for programs to diversify civil service and law enforcement positions.
For a much larger sampling of NJEA supported legislation that became law, see Page 33.
Budget fully funds pensions and increases support for public schools
NJEA successfully advocated for a state budget that made a full pension payment and increased K-12 and higher education funding. Underlining the respect Gov. Phil Murphy holds for public education, he signed the Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 budget at Ross Street Elementary School in Woodbridge on June 29.
That budget demonstrated the importance of having pro-public education leadership in the Statehouse. The budget included a larger payment into the pension funds than was actuarially required, and it provided more money for public schools and community colleges. It even included more money for a fund to pay down state debt.
With an approved budget, the Treasury Department wasted no time in funding the pension systems. On July 1, the Treasury Department paid the entire state contribution of $6.9 billion slated for FY 2022. That marked the first time in more than 25 years that New Jersey made the full actuarially determined contribution to the pension fund, plus an additional $505 million.
FY 2022 was also the first time in years that the state made a lump sum payment into the pension, rather than quarterly payments. The treasurer also announced that by making the contribution in one lump sum, the state was expected to save taxpayers roughly $2.2 billion over 30 years, rather than the $1.5 billion in savings initially anticipated if the state had made quarterly pension payments this year.
Member engagement yields pro-public education victories in November
Without elected leaders who believe in public education, outcomes such as increased state aid to public schools and a fully funded pension system are less likely. That’s why the NJEA Political Action Committee (NJEA PAC) makes candidate endorsements in statewide elections.
This year, New Jersey saw a historic election and wins in which NJEA members played a significant role. Our endorsed gubernatorial candidate, Phil Murphy, became the first Democratic governor to win reelection in 44 years. The governor credited NJEA members working to reelect him as a major factor in his win.
That recognition did not stop there. Just weeks before the November election, NJ Spotlight News took note of the work NJEA members were doing in nearly every corner of New Jersey.
“With the gubernatorial election between Murphy and Republican businessman Jack Ciattarelli appearing to tighten in its final days, the New Jersey Education Association has pulled out a weapon maybe more potent than cash: feet on the ground,” the Oct. 27 article read. “Of some 203,000 dues-paying members of the NJEA—teachers, custodians, cafeteria workers, retirees and their families—it seems most have been on the street at some point this fall.”
This is our goal in every election. We want to engage members in political activity and have it so noticeable that legislators, candidates, and political parties cannot ignore our members. We must have boots on the ground and engage members in our local and county associations across the state in every election.
Additionally, our campaign featured social media and direct mail as well as engagement from affinity groups of NJEA members, such as the NJEA Members of Color Network, that sent hundreds of postcards to fellow members encouraging them to come out and vote for our endorsed candidates.
Our social media ads served a total of 25.3 million impressions in just over two months, producing over 53 thousand click-throughs in that time. We ran a total of 21 different ads during the fall campaign: nine display ads and 12 videos. Almost all the video ads ran with multiple versions at various lengths from as short at six seconds to as long as 30 seconds, appearing on various social media platforms.
NJEA also conducted several virtual town halls with Gov. Murphy, Lt. Gov. Oliver and First Lady Tammy Murphy where hundreds of members gathered virtually to engage with the governor and others.
But Gov. Murphy was not the only name on the ballot. In fact, several legislators told us told us that their victory was because of NJEA members doing the work.
In the Northwest zone, (Hunterdon, Morris, Passaic, Somerset, Sussex and Warren counties), NJEA members completed 2,100 phone calls, sent over 3,000 postcards and knocked on over 800 doors. The Passaic County Education Association held a texting event using the Hustle app. They sent approximately 2,400 texts from that one event.
Bergen County Education Association members sent over 11,000 texts through Hustle as part of an effort to distribute Murphy lawn signs and to get out the vote.
In Maplewood, South Orange and Belleville members knocked on about 600 members’ doors.
Mercer County Education Association members sent about 1,750 postcards and made about 159 calls for endorsed candidates in Legislative District (LD) 16. Members of the Middlesex County Education Association contributed another 297 calls and knocked on 100 doors during a “labor walk” as part of the campaign.
Monmouth County Education Association members texted 2,700 members through Hustle as part of an LD 13 get-out-the-vote effort.
Gloucester County Education Association members teamed up with NJREA, making almost 3,000 phone calls and knocking on about 1,000 doors over multiple canvassing days.
Members of the Cape May County Education Association ran one of their first canvasses for an election in Wildwood, knocking on doors and sending postcards to hundreds of members to get out and vote.
As a result of the on-the-ground action of NJEA members, over 74% of our endorsed Senate candidates and over 79% of our endorsed Assembly candidates won. Among them are two NJEA members in the Assembly—Benjie Wimberly (D-Passaic) and Linda Carter (D-Union County).
Leaders listening to educators
The impact of NJEA in New Jersey and NEA members nationwide, ensures that educators have a seat at the table and influence in decision making.
In March, President Joe Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (ARP) into law. The act is a $1.9 trillion package meant to address the challenges the nation is facing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This can be connected back to how important elections are. It made a difference that 93% of NJEA members who are registered voters cast a ballot in the 2020 presidential election. Your vote is your voice, and look at the results!
The ARP includes significant funding for education, providing nearly $170 billion to public schools. From that, New Jersey received $3.7 billion in education funding, with $2.76 billion allotted for K-12 schools and $901.5 million for higher education. In addition, our state and local governments received $10.2 billion in aid from the federal government.
In May, Murphy announced New Jersey students would return to class full time and in person in the fall. He said that the executive order allowing schools to rely on remote education would expire at the end of the 2020-21 school year.
But in August, Murphy announced that because of the rise of COVID cases and hospitalizations, all students, staff and visitors in K-12 schools in New Jersey would be required to wear masks at the start of the 2021-22 school year. Later in the month, Murphy announced that all school staff and teachers at K-12 schools would have to be vaccinated by Oct. 18 or be subject to regular testing. He announced the same for all state employees, including state police.
NJEA’s success in the Statehouse and in elections results from the work of NJEA members, leaders, and staff, particularly the Government Relations Division staff, working together as a team. While we have much to celebrate, we have much to do as we continue to see how we can improve our organizing as we look toward the fall of 2022 and prepare for mid-term elections.
Members on the ballot
on the ballot in the 2022 election cycle: 292 members ran for office—234 for a local board of education, 61 for municipal offices, two for county offices and five for state legislative offices. Of the 292 members on the ballot across the state, 68% won their elections.
In addition to a statewide endorsement process, NJEA PAC has a process through which local and county associations may work with NJEA PAC for candidate endorsements. While most local associations did not make endorsements, of those that did, here were the victors:
- Fatimah Hayes – Lawnside Board of Education
- Sandi Lazzara – Passaic County Board of Commissioners
- Erica Osmond – Jackson Board of Education
- Kerrian Palmieri – Lakeland Regional Board of Education
- Kim Scott-Hayden – Union Township Board of Education
- Tracy Williams – Belleville Board of Education
At the state level, Assemblyman Benjie Wimberly (D-Passaic) and Assemblywoman Linda Carter (D-Union) are NJEA members.
Selected NJEA-supported bills signed into law
January 2021 to January 2022
To ensure the best outcomes for our students, we must engage with politicians and the political process. That includes championing legislation that benefits our schools and supporting candidates who believe in public education.
Listed here is a sampling of legislation supported by NJEA in the last year of the previous legislative session that went on to be signed by the governor.
Civics
S-854 – Requires civics instruction in middle school; authorizes New Jersey Center for Civic Education to provide curricula, professional development and technical assistance for middle and high school civics.
AJR-208/SJR-109 – Condemns hate and violent extremism and commits to defense of a safe and just democracy.
COVID-19
A-4461 – Requires state to enter into contract and coordinate with certain cooperative purchasing systems for procurement of COVID-19 related goods and services by school districts.
S-2832 – Allows students enrolled in institutions of higher education who have completed 30 semester-hour credits to serve as substitute teacher; extends time period substitute teacher may serve during public health emergency.
S-3995 – Establishes School and Small Business Energy Efficiency Stimulus Program Fund in BPU.
Diversity, inclusion and equity
A-4454/S-2781 – Requires school districts to include instruction on diversity and inclusion as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards.
A-1070 – Requires secretary of higher education to develop guidance for institutions of higher education to identify cultural barriers in recruitment and retention of underrepresented students for science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs.
S-1020/A-1184/A-4414 – Requires School Report Card to include demographic breakdown of students who receive disciplinary actions; requires commissioner of education to establish statewide database concerning certain disciplinary actions.
S-3764/A-3369 – Establishes Commission on Asian American Heritage in Department of Education
S-4021/A-6100 – Requires school districts to provide instruction on history and contributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as part of implementation of New Jersey Student Learning Standards in Social Studies.
A-4856/S-3094 – Requires internet websites and web services of school districts, charter schools, renaissance schools, and the Marie H. Katzenbach School for the Deaf to be accessible to persons with disabilities.
S-3416 – Codifies marriage equality in New Jersey law by providing that all laws concerning marriage and civil union are to be read with gender neutral intent.
Health care
S-49/A-6260 – Codifies the constitutional right to freedom of reproductive choice in New Jersey.
Higher education
A-4410/S-2743 – Establishes Community College Opportunity Grant Program in Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to provide last dollar financial aid grants to county college students and Student Success Incentive funding to county colleges.
S-4020/A-5867 – Expands bonding authority of New Jersey Educational Facilities Authority to permit financing for general funding needs at New Jersey’s institutions of higher education.
Mental health
A-3548 – Requires health benefits coverage for adolescent depression screenings.
S-2811/A-4838 – Requires school report card to include information concerning number of mental health professionals and school safety specialists employed by each school district.
A-3007/S-3127 – Requires institutions of higher education to provide students with access to mental health care programs and services and to establish a hotline to provide information concerning the availability of those services.
School bus safety
A-5814/S-3851 – Creates Office of School Bus Safety in Department of Education; appropriates $200,000.
Social-emotional learning
S-2486 – Establishes Clayton Model Pilot Program in DOE to provide school-based social-emotional learning to students in grades kindergarten through five at certain public schools.
A-4434/S-2716 – Establishes Student Wellness Grant Program in DOE.
Special education
S-3434/A-5366 – Extends special education services a year for some students who are aging out of the system.
S-2160/A-5701 – Creates special education unit within the Office of Administrative Law; requires annual report.
State budget
S-2022 – Appropriates $46,380,012,000 in state funds and $21,026,030,082 in federal funds for the state budget for fiscal year 2021-2022.
Student loan debt
S-969/A-2687 – Establishes loan redemption program for certain teachers to redeem loan amounts received under New Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students Loan Program through employment in certain schools; makes annual appropriation of $1 million.
Student rights
S-108/A-169 – Concerns speech rights of student journalists at public schools and public institutions of higher education.
A-3392/S-1219 – Requires a student to be appointed to each board of education of a school district and board of trustees of charter school that includes grades nine through 12.
Student safety
A-5727/3726 – Requires school security drills to be age-appropriate and to prevent unnecessary traumatization of schoolchildren
Teacher certification
S-4074/A-6000 – Allows alternative evaluation in place of basic skills testing requirements for certain teacher certification.
Teaching workforce
S-2835/A-5292 – Requires compilation of data and issuance of annual reports on New Jersey teacher workforce.