New Jersey has a new governor, a new education commissioner, and — if public statements are any guide — a renewed appetite for honest academic measurement. Gov. Mikie Sherrill set the tone on taking office, stating that in too many districts "resources are misspent or not directed appropriately." Months later, presenting a budget with record K-12 investment, she put the money question in terms lawmakers couldn't miss: "we're not getting the bang for the buck that we need."
Her new Commissioner of Education, Dr. Lily Laux, has made the same case. At her Senate confirmation hearing, she told the Judiciary Committee her job is to work with districts to "measure outcomes in an honest way." Eight months into the job, in an August 2026 interview, she defined success as "measurable, tangible results for students."
NJDOE's own materials state that those assessment results are used to inform "productive utilization of district resources" and to flag schools and districts that need additional state support. Expedient delivery of data, and decisive action guided by that information, is an urgent issue when so many of our students are not reaching proficiency benchmarks. But for the past 8 years, we’ve acted otherwise.
At last NJDOE has begun putting dates behind the talk. A July 2026 presentation from the office of Assistant Commissioner Jorden Schiff committed to a NJSLA-A results-turnaround date of no later than June 30, 2027 for the upcoming school year, nearly two months faster than in prior years.
These calls from the Governor, the Commissioner, and NJDOE for timely data and measurable outcomes echo the standard Wake Up Call NJ has been demanding from Trenton. We’re heartened by the discourse.
But words aren’t the solution. They need to act on those commitments. Wake Up Call NJ is ready to both support these efforts and, now that we have the receipts, hold our leaders accountable.
Enough talk. Time to walk.
