New Jersey public schools are some of the best in the country, but we’re slipping on recent proficiency benchmarks. We must keep adapting to the changing needs of our kids and ensure they stay competitive in an increasingly complex world.

Local boards of education have started talking about mental health, but absenteeism among students across New Jersey indicates we need real state level intervention. We also need to continue expanding access to public pre-K.

Our special needs kids require more support in the form of consistent expectations across districts and a revised school funding formula that takes into account resourcing needs for special education.

New Jersey should invest in vocational education and foster support for alternative career pathways, including entrepreneurship training within the trades.

We need better transparency on how our income taxes and property taxes fund education, and fully fund education at the state level. We will revisit the school funding formula and start a public conversation.

Newark charter schools have demonstrated some successful results. We must continue putting public education first, but let’s revisit charter school outcomes and their utility in other parts of New Jersey.