Workforce

The business community, working in partnership with many of New Jersey's education advocates, realizes that when it comes to educating the leaders of tomorrow, what's at stake is the future of New Jersey.  Our successes will be shaped by how well we prepare our children for the challenges that lie ahead.  To ensure that New Jersey's public schools continue to improve, The Platform for Progress Workforce Coalition has committed itself to ensuring that all students achieve at high levels, become productive citizens, and are well prepared to succeed in the workplace.  Supporting teacher and school quality will ultimately lead to increases in student achievement and, by extension, a better, more competitive New Jersey.

Download education action plan (PDF)

Long Term Goal: All students should achieve at high levels, become productive citizens, and be well prepared to succeed in the workplace.

Action Plan

No. 1 – Provide educators and policymakers with the tools they need to analyze school performance and increase student achievement; provide parents with information they need to encourage schools to create a culture of high expectations for their children.

• Maintain the public school information and improvement Web site system, Just for the Kids – New Jersey
• Facilitate research on best practices and disseminate findings to school leaders
• Provide opportunities for school leaders to train in and implement best practices in their schools

No. 2 – Benchmark and improve teacher quality by recruiting more teachers to, and supporting more teachers through, the rigorous process of certification to the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

• Create and sustain a public communication campaign that will involve parents, legislators, and the public in advocating for Board certified teachers
• Deploy awareness programs for teachers and administrators
• Deploy training and mentoring programs for Board candidates
• Celebrate, acknowledge, and reward Board certified teachers

No. 3 – Inform middle and high school students and their parents about the demands that business will place on them in the future; offer students the opportunity to obtain four key credentials that will encourage, increase, and document their academic achievement, work ethic, computer proficiency, and financial literacy.

Deploy the Learn More, Do More, Earn More Student Credentialing System, through
which students can earn certificates for critical achievements.

Four program components encourage:

• Academic rigor with New Jersey Scholars
• Professional level work ethic with School Counts!
• Computer proficiency with The Technology Challenge
• Financial literacy with Work the Money