The Senate Education Committee has advanced legislation aimed at simplifying the certification process for career and technical education (CTE) teachers. The bill, S-4515, is backed by NJBIA and sponsored by Sen. Vin Gopal (D-11). It seeks to address challenges schools face in hiring qualified CTE educators due to current certification rules.
Senator Gopal highlighted the importance of maintaining high standards while making certification more accessible for skilled professionals. "This bill ensures that we keep high standards while making the process more practical for working professionals,” Gopal stated. He emphasized the need to make teaching easier for experts in trades and technical fields to help students succeed.
Gopal further explained, “This is about aligning policy with reality,” noting that CTE teachers possess substantial subject knowledge and undergo significant training on the job. He criticized additional requirements as unnecessary barriers discouraging good educators from continuing their careers.
The proposed legislation would prevent the State Board of Education from mandating a candidate complete an educator preparation program exceeding 200 hours or one academic year for a certificate of eligibility in a CTE endorsement. Currently, candidates face increased requirements under an alternate route program that has doubled its instruction time since 2015.
Data from the New Jersey Council of County Vocational-Technical Schools indicates that 90% of districts find these expanded demands challenging when recruiting CTE teachers. Many districts report that extra training offers little benefit and leads to burnout without improving teaching outcomes.
Althea D. Ford, NJBIA Vice President of Government Affairs, expressed support for removing obstacles preventing individuals with technical expertise from entering teaching roles: "NJBIA supports efforts to remove barriers that prevent those with career and technical expertise from entering the teaching workforce."
