Mercer Times

Governor Phil Murphy has received the final report from the Educator Evaluation Review Task Force, established earlier this year to examine New Jersey's educator evaluation process. The task force was tasked with reviewing the 12-year-old Teacher Effectiveness and Accountability for the Children of New Jersey (TEACHNJ) Act, which uses feedback, professional development, and student progress data to rate educators.

The task force included educators, stakeholders, and education policy experts who worked over several months to produce a report with 15 recommended changes. These recommendations focus on streamlining the evaluation system, utilizing current law flexibilities, and enhancing professional learning and student growth.

"The collaborative spirit of this Task Force has been inspiring," said Governor Murphy. "Our educators play a vital role in our communities... That is why this process has been especially rewarding."

The Murphy Administration plans immediate action by forming an implementation working group to review the report and collaborate with the Department of Education. This group will help prioritize strategies and provide guidance to improve evaluations while reducing administrative burdens.

Acting Commissioner Kevin Dehmer expressed gratitude for the task force's efforts: "The recommendations provided to us today will be further developed and explored with the help of a new working group."

Details about stakeholder involvement in the implementation working group will be available soon.