On Aug. 13, Gov. Phil Murphy signed A2288/S2647 and S2644/A4303, a bill package to establish the Office of Learning Equity and Academic Recovery in the New Jersey Department of Education, along with other assets designed to bolster student literacy.
“Any teacher will tell you that books open up new worlds, they can lead us to new passions and knowledge, and they help us to uncover a deeper empathy for our neighbors,” Murphy said from the library at Park Elementary School in Newark. “The bills that I will be signing in a few moments will help a new generation discover those joys, as well as the unlimited opportunities that reading unlocks.”
He added, “With this legislative package we’re signing into law today, we will make sure that every PreK and elementary educator, as well as other key school staff members that students interact with and trust, receives high-quality, professional development on best practices in literacy instruction. … When it comes to overcoming barriers to literacy, we do not have time to waste.”
“For AFT New Jersey, it was important that this legislation was signed in Newark, which is home to our largest public PreK to 12 local,” AFTNJ President Jennifer S. Higgins said after attending the event. “This legislation will provide the tools and resources to help New Jersey’s students who have fallen behind and help them get back on track. Because as we know, reading is fundamental to a student’s long-term success in the classroom and beyond.”
TOP: Gov. Phil Murphy speaks Aug. 13 inside the Park Elementary School library in Newark.
ABOVE: New Jersey Department of Education Acting Commissioner Kevin Dehmer and AFTNJ President Jennifer S. Higgins at Park Elementary School on Aug. 13.
(Photos by Chris M. Junior)