As the 2025 election approaches for New Jersey’s next governor, NJ Education Report will be covering all candidates’ education platforms. Last week Democratic gubernatorial candidate Sean Spiller, most recently president of the New Jersey Education Association and Montclair mayor, claimed, in an interview with InsiderNJ, New Jersey has “the number one schools in the nation.”

In contrast, fellow Democratic candidate and Newark mayor Ras Baraka recently told a pollster, “while [NJ’s education system] may be #1 for white and Asian students, if you  compare New Jersey’s Hispanic students to students in other states, we’re #9 and for Black students we’re #17. Among students who qualify for free and reduced lunch, New Jersey comes in at #25.” (Republican contender Jack Ciattarelli concurs, writing, “we must refrain from saying our K-12 system is ‘one of the very best in the country.’ Are there pockets of exceptional success? Unequivocally, yes. But on the whole, the system is failing our students and taxpayers.”)

Spiller, whose political ambitions are financed by NJEA PACs, has not yet released a complete platform for education; with the exception of Jersey City mayor Steve Fulop, none of the candidates has. Yet in is a crowded field on both sides of the aisle, most candidates have offered educational teasers of their views. The Republican candidates, as of today, are State Senator Jon Bramnick, perennial candidate Robert Canfield, two-time candidate Jack Ciattarelli, Former State Senator Ed Durr, and radio host Bill Spadea, Democratic candidates are Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop, U.S. Representative Josh Gottheimer, U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill, Sean Spiller, and former Senate President Steve Sweeney. Click on hyperlinks for details.

Here are the edu-centric quotes from the Spiller interview:

InsiderNJ: Coming from a labor organization, how do you assure voters that as governor you will serve all NJ educational interests, both those of students and teachers?

Sean Spiller: Let’s look at the results. We have the number one schools in the nation. You can never separate a teacher and the parent and the student. The success of the school is going to be determined by the success of the student. My style is one of inclusive conversation, to make sure everyone impacted by things is at the table. They may call it red tape. We call it paperwork that we’re inundated with. It’s about inclusive leadership. It’s about making sure we’re all at the table when decisions are being made. In the end it’s about results.

InsiderNJ: What is your main policy priority?

Sean Spiller: We’re facing a major crisis in terms of staffing. Anywhere you go, anyone you talk to with kids in schools, will tell you class sizes are going up. There are tons of kids sitting in the library or auditorium. This is not only an impact on kids but an impact on educators, because instead of prepping for the next class you’re covering something and not able to give kids the instruction they need. You’re busy picking up the pieces. Over the last ten years we have eroded the promise of education in the areas of health benefits and pensions. We need to support at the state level bringing in educators and keeping them while lessening our reliance on property taxes.

InsiderNJ: Do you favor the elimination of Abbott?

Sean Spiller: No. We’ve got to tweak the formula. It doesn’t account for children with special needs, for example, but more broadly, we all still agree there are absolutely still communities that need additional supports. To just walk away from that is not the path.