In a recent national Gallup poll, 74% of parents gave their own kid’s education a thumbs up. But of those people, two-thirds said the U.S. education system overall is broken.

So...we’ve all happened to pick a great school for our kids, but somehow everyone else's school is a problem?

Let’s zoom in on a couple districts alleged to be New Jersey’s best. That same disconnect is occurring in places we like to brag about. Montclair. West Windsor-Plainsboro. Some of the most sought-after, best-resourced, and highest-property-taxed districts in the state. So what are the math scores like in these top-flight communities?

Spoiler alert: not top-flight.

NJ parents might not know if their 6th grader is actually performing at grade level on math (only 36% are!) - but their future college professors sure will. Today, we pass the pen to guest newsblaster Alex Kontorovich, Distinguished Professor of Mathematics at Rutgers University. Professor Kontorovich reached out to Wake Up Call NJ to express similar frustrations about NJ students’ math abilities, having witnessed the growing need for remedial and co-requisite classes in NJ colleges - a nice way of saying your kid never really learned high-school level material. And you now get to pay for extra college classes that earn zero credits towards their degree. Seems grade inflation does have consequences!

It’s back-to-school time: new sneakers, the return of traffic, and that hopeful feeling of “it’s gonna be a great year.”

But will it? State tests show that more than half of New Jersey 3rd graders are not proficient in math. We’re told polite phrases for this, like “approaching proficiency,” “almost proficient” – but let’s get to the point: it means the child is behind and isn’t ready to start the school year. And it gets worse as students grow older: the 6th graders are even further behind than the 3rd graders.  And only 40% of New Jersey students are meeting expectations in Algebra.

New Jersey public schools rank 3rd highest in the nation in spending, yet our state is among the slowest when it comes to delivering state assessment results to families.

New Jersey public schools rank 3rd highest in the nation in spending, yet our state is among the slowest when it comes to delivering state assessment results to families.

A new national survey found that many middle and high school students are often bored in math class. Many decide early on that they aren’t a “math person." Has your child ever felt this way?

Before you look at that report card, read this.

Parents, final report cards are coming soon. But what will those grades actually tell you about your child’s academic performance? Does that “A” or “B” mean your child is ready for next year?

New Jersey students recently took the state test, i.e. the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments (NJSLA). Third through 12th graders took tests in English/language arts, math, and for certain grades, science. 

While these tests show parents and teachers their students’ grade-level skills, some kids won’t get the scores back until Halloween...when students are well into the next school year!  

U.S. News and World Report recently proclaimed that New Jersey has the best schools in the country. USNWR uses 8th grade test scores from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) for its rankings.

But looking at the same NAEP results, you’ll find only 37% of New Jersey’s 8th graders scored proficient or above in math, and only 38% in reading. How can we celebrate NJ’s #1 ranking while ignoring the fact that more than 60% of our 8th graders aren’t at grade level?

Next month, New Jersey children will bring home their final report cards for the year. Most will be filled with excellent grades — in fact, 80% of students in public schools receive As and Bs.

But here’s the troubling truth: too many of those very students aren’t meeting grade-level standards in reading and math. Grades on report cards can often include student behavior, participation, homework and extra credit. 

Our goal at Wake Up Call NJ is to shine a light on education in New Jersey. Parents have been shocked to learn that 55% of NJ fourth graders can’t do math at grade level. More concerning? They're being told everything is ok. 

We’re here to educate NJ parents about their children’s schools. So let’s tackle three myths your school might be telling you about your student’s learning.

Unbelievably, 64% of NJ 6th graders are below grade level in math. As a result, too many recent graduates start college unprepared: 49% of them need to pay for remedial classes. But pointing fingers won’t solve the problem — coming together will.

Here are three voices of those who see the challenges firsthand: a district director of curriculum, a dedicated principal, and a passionate parent leader. While they all started as classroom teachers in unique settings, they share one common belief: together, we can fix it.