Reacting to Governor Phil Murphy’s announcement today on PARCC, Better Education for Kids and JerseyCAN released the following statement:

“Assessments provide an objective measure on how a successful a community at large is in educating its students. Eliminating tests is a disservice to vulnerable student populations and communities. We need a tool to determine if we are meeting the needs of minority and economically disadvantaged children as compared to students in affluent communities,” stated Shelley Skinner, Executive Director of Better Education for Kids. “The voices of the affluent suburban communities like SOS that are vocal critics of PARCC cannot replace a data-driven discussion.”

“With approximately only half of New Jersey students performing at proficient levels on PARCC and NAEP, now is not the time to be watering down our State’s assessment,” added Patricia Morgan, Executive Director of JerseyCAN. “Statistics indicate that nearly 60% of New Jersey students are unprepared for college. Assessments help us determine what steps we as a State need to take to help them be successful. The elimination of tests in certain grades will result in lost data that could prove helpful in designing an educational system that fits the needs of every student regardless of their zip code.”

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Better Education for Kids, Inc. (B4K) is an independent voice for common-sense education reform in New Jersey.  B4K stands for the proposition that the first priority of the New Jersey public school system must be the best interests of New Jersey students, not the special interests that dominate the status quo. To this end, every class must have an effective teacher and every school an effective principal, and teachers and principals should be given the necessary training and resources to be effective.  Public policy and all administrative and personnel policies should support these goals. Parents must be empowered with access to data and other information to hold educators, leaders and elected officials accountable for their performance.

Launched in 2013, JerseyCAN: The New Jersey Campaign for Achievement Now is a nonprofit organization that advocates for all students across the state to have access to high-quality schools. We work to improve policies and programs to support equity and excellence in New Jersey education.  For more information, visit www.jerseycan.org.