Political Action Guide: What does NJEA fight for?

To help students be successful and ensure schools have the funding they need to maintain and improve their quality,

NJEA supports:

• Ensuring that contracts between school districts and our local associations are honored.
• Full-day preschool.
• Universal full-day kindergarten.
• Smaller class sizes, especially in earlier grades.
• Release time for parents to attend school functions.
• Healthy, safe and modern schools.
• Accountability standards for all public schools.
• Expansion of public school choice options.
• Human and civil rights, and social, racial and economic justice.
• Ensuring schools are not for profit.
• Ensuring public funds are used only for public schools.
• Equitable funding for economically stressed school districts.
• Adequate state funding for regular education programs.
• Aid for facilities and debt service.
• Funding for programs for at-risk and high-needs students.
• During the pandemic, NJEA is fighting for:
• Resources to ensure educators and students can safely return to school
• Priority access to vaccines for educators
• Ensuring access to digital tools for students and staff
• Resources to address learning interruptions because of the pandemic

To ensure an outstanding education for every student while preserving a high-quality workforce,

NJEA supports:

• A fair evaluation system that relies on multiple measures of student progress.
• Expanded opportunities and rights for educational support professionals.
• Educator-driven professional development for certified and support staff.
• Two-year, state-funded mentoring for novice teachers.
• A defined benefit pension plan in retirement, as it is part of a school employee’s compensation.
• Collective bargaining at the local level.
• Access to excellent health care for employees, with any premium-sharing subject to local bargaining.
• Local control over decisions that affect schools and communities.