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This piece was submitted by a group of NJ Department of Education staff members who wish to remain anonymous. They are responding to reports about interminable wait times for prospective teachers trying to complete the necessary paperwork to be certified by the DOE. Their managers claim a new computer system will remedy the problem and Acting Commissioner Angelica Allen-McMillen is the “prime cheerleader” for this fix. These staff members beg to differ.
A recent NJ.com article shed light on the Office of Certification and Induction’s backlog and the lengthy waiting time that callers endure. The article explained that a new computer system would fix the problem by expediting the review process. [Also see here.]
The in-development system is, in truth, a farce, according to New Jersey Department of Education employees, and will, in fact, delay case-processing significantly, not only for the sake of application review but for those who wish general information from the office.
For one, when applicants call the certification office, they will need to share their background information, so that it may be logged onto the system. This will be annoyingly time-consuming. Furthermore, log notes associated for any established case will need to be opened and accessed individually by staff, as opposed to the present set-up where a thorough log history is listed for effortless review.
The new system will not even generate detailed evaluation forms but, rather, vague emails to applicants that they have been denied. This will generate more calls and be most disappointing to those who pay high fees for specific guidance related to their cases. Staff has protested this turn of events to the powers that be, but to no avail.
Despite various flaws, the system that has been in effect works, and if delays have since occurred in processing applications or answering calls and emails, it is because staff has been pulled repeatedly to test and review a system that is inherently unmanageable but is being forced into existence nevertheless for no more than data storage purposes.
The new system is to launch in May, the busiest time of the year for the certification office. A disaster is about to strike unless someone in charge intervenes. Will DOE leadership have the courage to do so?
