Sen. Ruiz Discusses Literacy Rates and Achievement Gaps in NJ Schools, on State of Affairs
Senator Teresa Ruiz (D) – NJ, Senate Majority Leader, sits down with Steve Adubato to discuss the devastating impact of the pandemic on literacy rates and the latest efforts to help close the achievement gaps for NJ’s elementary school students. Recorded 3/19/24.
Steve Adubato speaks with Sen. Ruiz about the state of New Jersey schools and the learning loss of children, particularly in lower grades. Ruiz responds, “We’re not in a great state, all puns intended, not unique to us in the Garden State. It’s something of a crisis, an epidemic if you will, that’s facing this country and the nation. The President during his State of the Union actually started talking about literacy and high-dose tutoring and we did hear it in the Governor’s State of the State address. I feel like it’s nearly four years too late, but at least everyone is talking about the issue.”
My goodness! To say, it’s nearly four years too late, but at least everyone is talking about it, is amazingly telling.
It took one day to close New Jersey’s schools due to the pandemic and nearly 1,460 days to at least talk about the devasting learning loss of children particularly in the lower foundational grades.
Tell that explanation to the child that has struggled; and as admitted by Senator Vin Gopal, Chairperson of the Senate Education Committee, he fears there is a very good chance that these children will never catch up. A life sentence.
The recently released New Jersey independent COVID-19 report spoke volumes to the fact that New Jersey’s schools were closed the longest in the nation and unnecessarily too long. Money was not the issue, NJ was given 3 Billion dollars from the American Rescue Plan. This is a very sad situation but at least we are talking about it.
Actually, I just watched the interview and I am stunned!!!
There were not many views, which is a bit disappointing. Perhaps the head lines were not sensational enough to draw interest. But, literacy should be a national concern because as Sen. Ruiz stated, it is an epidemic.
What is breathtaking is the fact that she doesn’t understand the state aid formula even though she served as the Chairperson of the Sen Education Committee for years , because the formula was created before her time????? And now states that the stop gap measures suggested in the recent legislation should be a two year fix rather than a body of legislators coming to together to fix the problem and personally taking the time out to understand the problem so it can get fixed! If our legislators don’t understand , how are the hard working taxpayers going to get it?
But, back to literacy. This should be declared a public emergency. As stated if you can’t read , you can’t learn. And to give such a casual response that after four years we are at least talking about , is a moral crime of unprecedented proportion. Our lawmakers hair should be on fire when they speak of this injustice. Oh well. Meanwhile, teacher union dues are used to fund political agendas that no not help the literacy issue at all. Boy, we really have lost our way when it comes to priorities and purpose.