The teacher shortage in New Jersey has prompted significant changes in the state’s education policies. As of Jan. 1, 2025, prospective teachers are no longer required to pass the Praxis Core Test, a basic skills exam that was previously a key step toward certification. This change was made possible by Assembly Bill 1669, signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy in June 2024 as part of the state’s budget plan. Supporters of the change believe it could help attract more candidates to the teaching profession, while critics are concerned about the long-term consequences for students and the quality of education.
Teacher shortages have been a growing issue nationwide, worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic, and New Jersey is no exception. A state task force found that between the 2014-2015 and 2017-2018 school years, the number of teachers leaving New Jersey schools far exceeded the number of new graduates entering the field. Erika Donalds, an education expert and founder of OptimaEd, supports the new policy, arguing it allows more college graduates from fields like history, math, and English to become teachers by lowering the barriers to entry. “This could help ease the shortage,” Donalds said. The New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) also supports the change, calling the basic skills test an “unnecessary barrier” and emphasizing that the state’s certification process remains thorough. Dawn Fantasia, a charter school administrator, echoed these views, saying, “The extra tests are a money maker, as the original tests are sufficient to prove content knowledge.”
Despite these arguments, many educators and experts question whether this approach is effective or if it simply lowers standards for the teaching profession. Timothy Busch, a Pennsylvania teacher, argued, “If you want to attract teachers, you should increase pay, not lower standards.” Busch shared his own experience of passing three certification exams when he began teaching and expressed frustration that the new policy might undermine professional expectations. He added, “The intent is to attract people to the profession, but I don’t think it will work. Pay is the issue.” Pennsylvania educator Adam Tatar shared a similar perspective, noting that while lowering requirements might expand the candidate pool, it also risks attracting underqualified individuals. “Not all teachers will be good right away, but if it’s just some random person, they won’t be able to get everything done,” Tatar said.
Critics also emphasize how this change could negatively impact students. The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) has reported a gradual decline in math and reading scores nationwide. In 2022, fourth-grade scores in reading and math dropped significantly compared to 2020, marking the largest decline in decades. Erika Sanzi, director of Parents Defending Education, said, “It’s a major red flag that so many aspiring teachers fail that test, and the solution should not be to eliminate it.” Sanzi and others argue that removing basic requirements could negatively impact students, particularly those still recovering from pandemic-related learning losses. With 83% of U.S. public schools reporting behavioral issues and declining student performance since the pandemic, many worry that lowering teacher certification standards will only worsen these challenges. While the new policy seeks to address the teacher shortage, critics argue it overlooks deeper issues, such as inadequate pay and insufficient support for teachers, which are critical to solving the problem long term.
