“I wish her all the best. I hope Gov. Murphy understands his next selection [for Education Commissioner] must understand the gravity of students’ learning loss and poor performance on state tests, while also committing to putting aside social and political distractions by staying laser-focused on the fundamentals of learning.”

That’s State Board of Education Vice President Andrew Mulvihill sharing his thoughts about the retirement of Acting Education Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillan and the need for Gov. Murphy to nominate someone who will best serve New Jersey’s 1.3 million schoolchildren. 

After all, on December 6th the public will learn that the reading proficiency of New Jersey’s third-graders—a benchmark for further academic success—hasn’t budged in the last year, despite the DOE’s lip service (and tons of tax dollars) to a high-dosage tutoring program not yet off the ground nearly a year after its announcement.* Statewide, 49% of grades 3-12 students don’t meet grade-level expectations in English Language Arts and 62% don’t meet them in math. It’s worse for students of color and low-income students: For instance, 31% of our Hispanic high school seniors can’t pass a 10th-grade reading test and 70% of Black high school seniors can’t pass a 10th grade math test.

It doesn’t have to be this way. New Jersey families deserve better..

Thus, so much rides on who Murphy will pick for our next Commissioner, especially after the listless leadership of his first two appointees, Lamont Repollet, famous for infamous 64 Floor philosophy, and Allen-McMillan, who spent much of her three years at the helm consumed by culture wars instead of those “fundamentals” Mulvihill references.

Let’s acknowledge this: the job will be tough to fill. Murphy’s term ends in January 2025 so the new commissioner will have a short-term gig and get paid $175K, less than the salary of your average NJ superintendent. In general, positions at the Department of Education have been hard to fill, starting with the 2018 mass firing of non-Repollet besties and then general distaste for what some describe as an oppressive culture. Currently the DOE lists 14 job openings, but there’s far more than that.

Let’s also acknowledge it’s really hard to oversee 600 school districts in a state where local control is our oxy. Yet other states can point us towards ways a bold and honest commissioner can accelerate student learning.

Earlier this year Chiefs for Change released a report, “Accelerating Learning: How K-12 Systems Are Moving Forward and Making Gains,” which profiles state education department leaders who have achieved success for kids. Let’s look at three states that can serve as role models for what needs to change for New Jersey children, especially those whose parents don’t have the means to hire tutors or move to another district, to have a shot at academic success.

Mississippi

Mississippi has typically ranked at the bottom of rankings for student achievement, in part because 75% of K-12 students qualify for free or reduced lunch (an indicator of poverty. In NJ the percentage is 38%.) In 2013 Mississippi’s state education system was ranked 49th out of 50 states yet by 2021 it had soared to 21st. How did that happen? First, the state legislature passed the Literacy-Based Promotion Act in 2013, providing accountability for all school districts. State education chief Carey Wright implemented a strategy for every K-3 teacher, elementary principal, and assistant principal to take a 55-hour training course in the science of reading. All schools screen students for learning problems starting in kindergarten. If students can’t read by third grade, schools employ effective intervention strategies. The result? According to the New York Times, “Mississippi fourth-graders were actually among the top readers nationwide.” Black and Hispanic students improved more than white students.

Tennessee

Tennessee state education commissioner Penny Schwinn took took over in 2019 and confronted historically low student outcomes. How did she turn things around? In 2021 she launched a statewide initiative called Reading 360 that incorporates the tenets of the science of reading all while maintaining (or raising!) standards for teachers and students. The state also keeps parents in the loop: “every kindergarten through third-grade student participates in a screening test three times a year. If the screening shows a child has trouble reading on grade level, their school creates a personalized report so the child’s family can understand where more support is needed.”

This effort was backed by the State Legislature, which passed a law—the Tennessee Literacy Success Act— requiring every district to use phonics-based curricula and perform universal screenings for reading disorders. The bill also requires all teacher candidates to take coursework in foundational literacy skills, and each district to report to the public on literacy progress. Spring 2023 test scores, which were released to the public six months ago, showed “historic gains.”

Indiana

In Indiana, the head of the education department, Katie Jenner, explains to Chiefs for Change, “We have to acknowledge that schools can’t do this work alone. I often ask myself how I can take the state’s resources and strategically deploy them locally, understanding that the greatest impact always happens at the local level.”  Using Mississippi as a model, Jenner placed instructional coaches in every school and mandated science of reading curricula (like Tennessee, buttressed with state legislation). She also developed a program to give families money to pay tutors (only low-income families who select an approved provider are eligible), and extended the school calendar by adding a five-week summer program called Indy Summer Learning Labs.  Jenner led an inclusive initiative that tracks what skills high school graduates need to succeed. The community identified these skills as “academic mastery and career and postsecondary readiness; credentials and experiences; communication skills; an ability to collaborate with others; a strong work ethic; and civic, financial, and digital literacy.”

I know, I know! So top-down! So not-New Jersey!

But it works. 

Here’s a lesson for grown-ups: if Gov. Murphy nominates a leader whose moral compass never veers from the North Star of what students need, who welcomes accountability, sets high standards, and refuses to engage in culture wars, we can move the needle on student achievement.

That’s a big “if.” But I’ve never been rooting harder for Murphy’s success than I am right now. Chiefs for Change puts it best: “The challenge is vast, but children can’t wait.”

*Newark, our largest school district, just acknowledged it is “still waiting to hear if it will receive grant funding” for its high-dosage tutoring program. KIPP, the public charter network in Newark and Camden, says its tutoring grant application to the DOE was approved last month but it hasn’t seen a cent of the $384,000.

[photo credit] Flickr: Phil Murphy