NJEA’s officers, President Sean Spiller, Vice President Steve Beatty and Secretary-Treasurer Petal Roberson released this statement following news reports that President-elect Trump has chosen former professional wrestling executive Linda McMahon to serve as his Secretary of Education:

“This is an unserious choice by an unserious administration that is more interested in stirring up outrage, controversy and clicks than it is in helping the American people. But the consequences of this cynical choice will be tragically serious for America’s students and for the families in every American community that rely on public education as their gateway to the American Dream. They deserve better than an unqualified partisan who will be charged to carry out Project 2025’s anti-education agenda, without regard for how it will harm children.

“As advocates and educators, we will never stray from our commitment to fighting for our students, our schools and our proud profession. Decisions like this at the national level make it clearer than ever that we must do everything in our power to protect New Jersey’s best-in-the-nation public schools from the reckless agenda of the Trump administration. We will continue to push for smart policies and to endorse and support pro-education candidates so that our state and our schools can stand as an example of what is possible when we put children first.”

NJEA members have endorsed NJEA President Sean Spiller in New Jersey’s 2025 gubernatorial election.