Creating a Pathway to Lessen the Teacher Shortage

By Vin Gopal

Senator Vin Gopal

We’ve taken an important step to lessen the chronic shortage of special education teachers as well as to close the gap between student demand and teachers certified in computer science, physics, chemistry, and biology.

The state Department of Education has approved five new programs through the New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning to enable teachers to earn their credentials online and more affordably in these five critical areas.

The Office of Recruitment, Preparation, and Certification, approved the programs, so already-certified teachers can earn credentials as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities, or in teaching the advanced sciences, more conveniently and at a lower cost. My Legislative District 11 partners, Assemblywomen Margie Donlon and Luanne Peterpaul also supported funding for the program in the current state budget. The program enables teachers to save up to $18K while taking certification courses. This program will help fill staffing shortages by offering a more affordable and faster avenue to certification.

The shortage of teachers in general at various grade levels has been a continuing problem in New Jersey. Jobs in the sciences are notoriously hard to fill, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Our state reflects a national picture, with the number of students with special needs increasing for the last several years. Nationally, 40 percent of public schools are having difficulty filling special education teaching positions.

We need teachers to fill vacancies in difficult-to-fill subjects like math, science, and world languages, but there also continues to be a need for elementary teachers, gym teachers, and those teaching English and social studies, who were traditionally easier to find.

That’s why we also have sponsored legislation to establish the Grow Your Own Teacher Loan Redemption Program in the Higher Education Student Assistance Authority (HESAA). The program would encourage students who graduated high school or lived in a school district with a shortage of teachers to return and teach in their home district. The HESAA would offer loan redemption up to $10,00 of eligible student loan expenses for each full year of employment. The bill is pending before the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee.

We also sponsored legislation to establish the New Jersey Student Teacher Scholarship to provide scholarships to students completing required clinical practice through a certificate of  eligibility with an advanced standing educator preparation program. Eligible students could receive a scholarship of up to $7,200 for each semester of full time clinical practice completed in a New Jersey school. Providing scholarships for student teacher candidates would reduce financial barriers to achieving a teacher certification and help close the gaps in grades and subjects with teacher shortages.

Maintaining a strong public education workforce capable of addressing the need for certified computer science, physics, chemistry, and biology teachers, as well as special education teachers, will build a stronger, more vital economy and provide greater opportunity for our children to succeed.

We always welcome your ideas and comments. Please never hesitate to share your thoughts or ask for assistance at SenGopal@njleg.org, or (732) 695-3371.

On behalf of the LD11 office we would like to wish everyone a happy and healthy Thanksgiving.