Climate Change, Universal Pre-K, Failing Seniors, Chapter 7, What is Mandatory?
State Board Of Education Meeting
Tammy Murphy’s Climate Change Agenda
Last week the State BOE meeting convened to approve the new change in New Jersey Learning Standards in English Language Arts and Math. This led to contentious discussion as to why Climate Change was included. While it is apparently already woven through all subject areas, two Board members expressed great concern that such cross-subject adoptions could create dangerous precedent for the future. For those who wish to know more about how this is already being implemented through curriculum, CLICK HERE for a link to more info on the State Board website.
A question was raised by Board member Andrew Mulvihill, as to whether these requirements in the standards are mandatory. The answer he was given was that they are only "Recommended". Mulvihill also made the point that this political initiative is being pushed strongly by First Lady Tammy Murphy, who is neither elected nor appointed, which he believed to be inappropriate.
New Jersey Failing the Students
106 Districts were monitored by the State for compliance with State Standards this year. It was reported that only 53 districts, exactly half, in fact met the requirements. The Commissioner blamed it on certain "Nuances to Education", such as entrance criteria being more rigorous in some schools than others, and teacher and student readiness. A Board member commented that in her six years on the Board, she cannot remember achievement levels ever being this low. This follows on the heels of last spring, when the High School graduation scores were lowered by 50 points because otherwise, too many students weren't going to qualify to graduate.
Universal Pre-K
Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan reported on the NJ Partnership for Student Success, which was formed to address COVID 19 deficiencies, and in which the State has made a $52m "investment". She especially focused on the State's initiative concerning Universal Pre-School. To create enough space, the State is partnering with home school, private, and religious pre-schools to both find room to house students, and to recruit additional staff. However, as we know, with State funding comes State mandates, and it is likely that programs that do not use certificated staff will be required to do so in order to attract State funding. This likely will put pressure on private and home day care programs that do not partner with the State and qualify for State funding.
The Controversy of Chapter 7
During New Business, Board member Andrew Mulvihill questioned how it would be possible for the Board to re-open discussion on the recent Amendments to Chapter 7, that brought about 150 people to September's Board meeting to protest, where MOST speakers voiced their disapproval during testimony. These Amendments removed gendered pronouns, separate students for Sex Ed classes according to gender identity, and remove the world "Equality" and replace it with "Equity" (a Marxist term).
Mulvihill indicated that the Attorney General claimed this could only be done if the Commissioner of Education approved, and that she had denied his request. Board member Joseph Ricca also voiced similar concerns, as the Board had inquired before voting in August as to how they could be rescinded, and they were told the Board could reconsider them if they wished. Now they're being told they can't. So Mulvihill made a motion to put it on the agenda for next month. He was then advised by (I think) Board Counsel that he did not need to make a motion, and that it would be added to next month's agenda. It seems to me that, according to Robert's Rules of Order, an effort to reconsider a past decision SHOULD have been moved and seconded, but perhaps it wouldn't have passed a formal vote.
What is Mandatory?
There are various types of actions, recommendations, and policies passed by both the State and local boards. Only some are mandatory. The rest are left to the discretion of local boards of education. The Legislature passes laws, which are then implemented through Standards or other actions of the State Board. It WAS our assumption that "Standards" adopted by the Board were mandatory - but we were told yesterday that the Climate Change part of the Language Arts and Math Standards are only advisory.
With Transgender Policy 5756, that most Boards interpreted as Mandatory, the Attorney General recently indicated it was NOT, and about a dozen boards have since rescinded it. Others never adopted it at all.
So now the recently adopted Ch. 7 Standards may be reconsidered by the Board. If Climate Change in the Language Arts and Math curriculum is only recommended, then perhaps Ch. 7 isn't mandated either. While no one has so far said that, we are projecting, based on yesterday's actions, and the surprising turnaround on the Transgender policy. Maybe the AG and the State Board have "blinked" in response to some of the push back they have received both from citizens and even Democratic leadership in Trenton.