The NJEA’s position, quite explicitly, is that our African American children are doing better than many other states’ African American children. I take great offense at this perspective. The NJEA believes the right question is whether poor children or children of color are performing better than children within the same demographic group elsewhere. I believe that the right question is whether we are giving every child an equal opportunity in education regardless of birth circumstances – that is, not in comparison to their demographic peers, but to all children.

Ed. Comm. Chris Cerf, in a memo released today.