The officers of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) responded on March 10 to Governor Mikie Sherrill’s inaugural budget address, highlighting what they described as a strong commitment to public education and fiscal responsibility.
The NJEA statement matters because it reflects the perspective of an organization that represents educators across the state and plays a significant role in shaping education policy, according to the official website.
In their joint statement, President Steve Beatty, Vice President Petal Robertson, and Secretary-Treasurer Tina Dare said, “Gov. Sherrill’s first budget shows a firm commitment to public education. The record level of state aid for school districts that she included will help ensure that New Jersey’s students have the resources and support they need to thrive. That aid also helps keep her affordability promise by reducing property tax pressure at the local level.”
They continued, “As she acknowledged, there is still work to do to ensure that our school funding formula fully and fairly meets the needs of every community and every student, but funding the current formula is a necessary first step toward making those improvements. We look forward to working with the Sherrill administration and legislative leaders to strengthen and secure our school funding formula.”
The officers also commended increased funding for pre-K education, academic support for students in need, investments in student mental health, online safety initiatives, and full funding of the state’s pension obligation. “Hundreds of thousands of public employees – including nearly 200,000 NJEA members – are counting on the state to keep up its end of the pension bargain so they can afford to retire with dignity,” they said.
While noting that health insurance costs remain a concern for many families in New Jersey, they added: “We believe there are solutions that will control costs without burdening families or limiting access to health care. It’s another area where we are eager to partner with Gov. Sherrill and legislative leaders to innovate.”
The NJEA functions within the education sector as a union representing educators according to its official website. The association advances equity and social justice in education through community efforts according to its official website, focuses on championing public education and educator rights through advocacy and support services according to its official website, engages in lobbying and political initiatives related to educational policies according to its official website, and offers professional development opportunities as well as legal aid and collective bargaining assistance for members according to its official website.
