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September 16, 2025NJCTL’s Alternate Route Program Tackles Teacher Shortages
Benjamin Olinsky considered himself a “jack-of-all-trades” as a substitute teacher at Columbia High School in South Orange over the past five years. He took tremendous pride in his ability to teach a new subject regardless of academic background.
After bouncing from subject to subject, Olinsky discovered he had a love for teaching mathematics, both the technicality and precise nature of the field. The East Orange resident wanted to get certified to teach full time, but because of his other career as a personal trainer, finding the time was virtually impossible.
An administrator at Columbia High had a suggestion for Olinsky to achieve his professional goals despite his busy schedule: Apply to New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning’s (NJCTL) Shortage Area Alternate Route program.
“NJCTL’s program is helpful for aspiring teachers of any background, and the staff is both accessible and helpful,” said Olinsky, now certified to teach math through the program. “Teaching is such a profound and rewarding profession, and I am thankful to NJCTL for opening the door to such a great career. It has been life changing.”
The asynchronous, online program offers instruction and dedicated support for a fraction of the cost of traditional teaching certifications. It is run by a non-profit supported by the New Jersey Education Association.
Thanks to the high-quality instruction NJCTL provides, Olinsky was able to score a perfect score of 200 on the Mathematics Praxis exam, considered in education circles to be a Herculean feat, despite him not majoring or minoring in math in college.
NJCTL’s alternate route program offers certifications in physics, chemistry, biology and mathematics, and is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree in any subject. By offering new paths in these key subject areas, the program addresses shortages in critical spaces and opens new doors for prospective teachers across the state.
The program also supports retirees, such as Middletown’s Bob Connolly. After retiring from a 30-year career in advertising, Connolly sought a second full-time career that would “make him excited to get out of bed in the morning.”
Teaching, particularly teaching mathematics, had always been on his radar, and NJCTL’s program allowed him to successfully transfer into a new career he believes will be even more rewarding than his first.
“Alternate Route is a perfect fit for someone like me,” Connolly said. “Because it is asynchronous, I was able to move through the program quickly without waiting for a new semester to start. I am so grateful for the supportive staff, who made the learning process simple and enjoyable.”
Connolly is excited to begin his first teaching role this fall at Freehold Intermediate School.
The program has also been a “godsend” for an aspiring educator in Newark. From the moment he began working as a substitute teacher at Gateway Academy Charter School, Kwaku Owusu-Achampong knew he had found his professional fulfillment.
His dream: to become a fulltime teacher. The problem: As a dedicated husband and father, finding the money and time to enroll in a traditional, full-time teaching certification program seemed impossible.
“I was at my wits’ end about getting certified before I found out about Alternate Route,” said Owusu-Achampong, of Hopatcong. “I wanted to teach more than anything, but I didn’t think I’d be able to because of the time commitment and the cost of certification. The flexibility and affordability offered by NJCTL is allowing me to pursue my dreams, build confidence and boost my earnings potential.”
With new teachers like Olinsky, Connolly and Owusu-Achampong paving new paths into the classroom, NJCTL’s Shortage Area Alternate Route program is a gateway to unforeseen opportunities, said NJCTL Executive Director Bob Goodman.
“By breaking down financial and scheduling barriers, our program is helping schools across New Jersey fill critical shortages while empowering passionate individuals from all walks of life to inspire the next generation of students,” Goodman said. “This is an incredible opportunity for people who always dreamed of becoming teachers in New Jersey.”
There are now 72 aspiring teachers enrolled in the program; 21 have already qualified for their certificate of eligibility to teach for the 2025-26 school year. The program launched early in 2023.
7 Comments
I appreciate Alternate Route, having been involved with it for many years. However, NJCTL is not the catalyst of this successful endeavor. It was around long before NJCTL was ever conceived. Considering NJCTL’s controversial position in the state, the association seems to spoil the intent of A/R. That’s a shame. If interested in A/R, I would recommend that people go directly to the NJDOE certification office. The staff there will be more than willing to help and likely point one in a clearer direction than this “agency” ever could.
This article is truly inspiring! The NJCTL program makes teaching accessible to so many, breaking down barriers of time and cost. Its wonderful to see individuals like Olinsky, Connolly, and Owusu-Achampong pursuing their dreams. A great initiative for New Jersey!basketballbros
The Alternate Route program has always been a great asset to the State. With this said, I and others are now a bit confused about who is handling this practical avenue. Is it NJDOE (the teacher licensing office) or is it New Jersey Center for Teaching and Learning? Might it be both? For years, this was a licensing invention and was handled only by that office, and NJCTL had no involvement whatsoever. Applicants were able to apply, for a small fee, through the state office. How did this get switched over to NJCTL? Clarification would be appreciated for those who wish to apply. Thank you.
That’s a great question. I suggest you contact NJCTL. https://njctl.org/
I acted upon your suggestion to the above, Elizabeth. I am not sure if she has reached out or what information she may be able to share, but the information I received from NJCTL, specifically Dr. Goodman, was helpful in clarifying the Alternate Route situation. I learned much more from Dr. Goodman than any NJDOE, licensing employee, and that includes two directors. Considering Dr. Goodman’s vast knowledge, it seems only right that he and his organization oversee the entire, Alternate Route process. To say the least, I am quite disgruntled with what the licensing office has to offer, which seems to be only ignorance.
To clarify: Only the NJDOE can issue teaching certificates and approve programs and providers of the required coursework to earn those certificates, including alternate route programs. NJCTL is just one of many approved providers.
NJCTL is an NJDOE-approved provider of two types of alternate route programs, both of which lead to the candidate earning a Standard Certificate issued by the NJDOE. The difference between the two programs is who qualifies for each and their initial stages.
The Traditional Alternate Route program is for those who majored (or have 30 credits) in the subject they plan to teach and earned a 3.0+ GPA. The candidate applies to the NJDOE for a Certificate of Eligibility (CE) and then identifies a provider (such as NJCTL) for the required coursework.
The Shortage Area Alternate Route for Non-Majors program is open to anyone with a bachelor’s degree in any subject and with any GPA. Its objective is to produce teachers for subjects for which there is a shortage of teachers. Upon the candidate completing the first phase of the program with a 3.0+ GPA, passing the Praxis exam for that subject, and meeting other requirements, they become eligible for a CE from the NJDOE NJCTL nominates them to the NJDOE for a CE. They then follow a similar path to those in Traditional Alternate Route.
This article describes the path of three people who earned their CEs through the NJCTL Shortage Area Alternate Route for Non-Majors program and have begun teaching. To our knowledge, NJCTL is the only NJDOE-approved provider of an Alternate Route for Non-Majors program.
Dr. Goodman: Can you clarify the following: For the non-major applicants at NJCTL, they still must have 30 credits in the subject they plan to teach (in addition to passing the subject Praxis), correct? I believe the certification office has, in the past, looked for 30 credits with a certain sum on the junior and senior levels, even though a major in the subject may not have been earned.