(TRENTON) – To better prepare the next generation of teachers to adapt to virtual instruction in the event of emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic, the Assembly Education Committee on Wednesday advanced legislation (A-4859) to require candidates for teaching certifications in New Jersey to receive training on remote teaching.
Under the bill, beginning with the 2022-2023 school year, teaching certification candidates would be required to complete a training course on remote teaching to meet the criteria to become an educator in New Jersey. The training would include how to revise curriculum for an online platform; using the most effective tools available for content delivery; creating opportunities for student engagement and discussion; building and sustaining community and connection with and among students; and delivering assessments online and monitoring academic progress.
The measure’s sponsors, Assembly Democrats Mila Jasey (D-Essex, Morris), Valerie Vainieri Huttle (D-Bergen) and Ralph Caputo (D-Essex) released the following joint statement:
“Over the past year, teachers have risen to the seemingly impossible challenge of transitioning to remote instruction under the most difficult circumstances. With no precedent to guide them, teachers have worked tirelessly to maximize all available resources and deliver the best education possible to our children. However, many never had experience with virtual instruction prior to the pandemic and found themselves climbing a steep learning curve alongside their students.
“While there is no substitute for the traditional classroom experience, this pandemic has taught us that schools need to be resilient to accommodate future emergencies and disruptions to normal education. Every aspiring teacher must be prepared to educate students in a virtual environment if the situation arises.”