Welcome to 2026. We all know the sort of promises we make at the start of the year. Not only are we going to run a marathon, we’ll eat five green vegetables during the course, and swear only once per mile over those 3 4 5 hours.
There’s nothing wrong with setting lofty goals. New Jersey’s education system surely needs them. Less than 60% of our graduates are able to pass the math section of the NJGPA. Yep, that’s the same NJGPA our elected officials voted to eliminate recently.
This fits not-so-nicely with grade inflation, overstated school ratings, lack of academic outcomes in district strategic plans, and the persistent delay in returning valuable test results. All of which create a mirage of the “number 1 state in the country for education” moniker that everyone embraces – wonder why?
But students get a real - ahem - Wake Up Call when they enter college and need to take remedial classes that cost thousands of dollars, pile on debt, and create barriers to degree completion. This isn’t a Hallmark movie with a happy ending: Almost half of all NJ 1st year students require at least one remedial course.
Masking the truth doesn’t help students succeed. It cripples them worse than your younger self’s New Year’s Eve hangover. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, district leader, or policymaker, here are some New Year’s resolutions you can make to push for awareness, accuracy and timeliness around student performance.
