Legislative Update

Judge Orders DOE to Revise Adminstrator Contract Regulations

For Board Member of Year, A Tradition of Service

Governor Appoints NJSBA Counsel to School Employees' Health Benefits Commission

Networking Opportunities at Workshop

Workshop Room Rate Drop

Schools Harness the Sun

NJSBA Meets with Legislators

Report Shows Continued Trend Toward Safe Schools

New Jersey’s Teachers are Highly Qualified

NJSBA At Your Service: Legislative Day

NJSBA Board of Directors, Audit Committee to Meet

Calendar

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The fifth annual survey of teacher content expertise showed that 99 percent of New Jersey’s teachers meet the federal “highly qualified teacher” criteria in the No Child Left Behind Act, according to an announcement by the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE).

According to the NJDOE, the state’s greatest challenge lies in recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers in mathematics, English as a Second Language and special education, especially special education in middle school classrooms.

To meet the definition of highly qualified, teachers must have a bachelor’s degree, a valid state certification for which no requirements have been waived, and demonstrate content expertise in the core academic subjects they teach through federally specified criteria.

New Jersey’s 2008 results represent an increase from just a few years ago. In 2005, about 96 percent of classes were taught by highly qualified teachers.

Nationally, 93.76 percent of classes in low-poverty secondary schools are taught by highly qualified teachers; in high-poverty schools the figure is 90.42 percent. In elementary schools around the country, 95.76 percent of classes in low poverty schools are taught by highly qualified teachers; 90.42 percent in high poverty schools.