From NJ’s Race To The Top Application:

Moving forward, individuals and organizations across New Jersey’s education landscape are prepared for and committed to bold action. While the NJEA is not endorsing our application, we did discuss our plans with them during its development. Our administration’s firm commitment to strong policy around merit pay for individual teachers and retention decisions based on effectiveness was at odds with the NJEA’s position. We are choosing to act boldly rather than seek perfect consensus.