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In the increasingly tight New Jersey governor’s race, education has become a key issue, with Democratic U.S. Rep. Mikie Sherrill and Republican former state lawmaker Jack Ciattarelli offering starkly different visions on how to shape the state’s public school system.
If elected, Sherrill, a congresswoman since 2019 whose district includes Essex County, has pledged to invest in tutoring, student mental health, and equity in schools, largely echoing policies laid out by Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy.
Ciattarelli, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump, has outlined a conservative platform that echoes many of the Trump administration’s education priorities and would represent a significant shift to the right. Among his proposals is the expansion of charter schools and voucher programs.
Both candidates secured their party’s nomination in June’s historic primary election, which saw the highest voter turnout in a primary election in recent years. The Nov. 4 election – one of two gubernatorial races in the country this year – has gained national attention in part because it may serve as a test of Trump’s policies in a blue-leaning state like New Jersey.
A rightward shift could have a major impact on the future of Newark Public Schools and carries significant weight for the district, especially as it marks five years since it regained local control of its schools. The district has seen progress in recent years, but student achievement, outdated school buildings, and funding remain persistent challenges.
The next governor’s policies may also determine whether the progress of the city’s 41,000 public school students continues or stalls. Measures such as graduation rates and student performance have improved, and chronic absenteeism is trending downward. But Newark’s students have faced ongoing academic challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic, with younger students suffering the biggest declines.
Last school year marked the third year in a row that third grade English language arts state test scores remained the lowest of any grade.
Here’s where the candidates stand and what that could mean for classrooms in Newark and across the state.
What are the plans to boost student achievement?
When it comes to improving students’ reading skills, Ciattarelli says he has plans “to do something on day one.”
In response to a Chalkbeat question during last month’s Newark Today episode on WBGO radio, the Republican candidate said he would implement a “high-impact curriculum,” a set of research-based teaching strategies and learning practices that align with state standards and help boost student achievement. He pointed to Louisiana and Mississippi’s high-impact reading curriculum that has gained national recognition for improving state test scores, particularly in literacy.
Ciattarelli also noted that school districts with low state test scores, like Newark, where only 34% of students passed their English language arts test this spring, need the most support. He also said the state needs to invest in high-impact tutoring to help struggling students.
“We have to get back to the basics and make sure all our kids can read and do math at grade level. A child who cannot read well will find it hard to succeed in life,” Ciattarelli told Chalkbeat this week.
The Republican candidate added that his administration would use metrics similar to those in the state’s current evaluation system for public school districts, known as NJQSAC, to “tell us if a school system is failing.” This year, Newark received a high-performing designation from the state based on its evaluation system.
Ciattarelli would also implement a “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that would require school districts to post K-12 curriculum sources online at the beginning of each school year, according to his campaign website. The Republican candidate would also mandate that schools create “age-appropriate” sexual and “social education” instruction for all grade levels.
At an August rally for Moms for Liberty, a right-wing organization that has lobbied to restrict access to gender-affirming care for transgender youth, ban LGBTQ-focused books and curriculum, and limit teaching about race, Ciattarelli said he would end a state law signed by former Gov. Chris Christie in 2017 that allows school districts to accept students’ asserted gender identities without notifying parents.
Sherrill’s approach to help improve student performance focuses on high-impact tutoring, the Democratic candidate said in response to a Chalkbeat question on last month’s Newark Today episode. That tutoring consists of small-group sessions lasting at least half an hour, three times a week, with the same tutor each time. Research has shown it to be an effective method to combat learning loss.
Newark schools implemented high-impact tutoring with the help of an infusion of federal COVID relief dollars, which the district said was its “saving grace” in expanding programming. The district in 2023 also received a state grant to fund the tutoring work.
During the Newark Today episode, Sherrill also said she is “working hard to drive down costs” in the state and that her administration would evaluate what programs are working and prioritize support for those.
“As governor, [high-impact tutoring] is something I’m going to ensure we are funding in the budget and ensuring that we are getting that into schools, especially those schools that need it most,” Sherrill said.
The Democratic candidate also believes the state has a role in setting academic standards but said school districts should have flexibility in implementing them.
“Teachers and local school leaders know their students best. They understand the needs of their communities, and they should be trusted to tailor lessons, choose materials, and innovate in ways that make learning engaging and relevant,” Sherrill said to Northjersey.com in an interview this month.
Where do candidates stand on charter school expansion and school choice?
Ciattarelli has been clear about his plans to expand charter schools and provide vouchers, and offer more school choice for New Jersey’s families. His plans differ from Newark Superintendent Roger León and the district, who have asked the state to stop the expansion of charter schools in the city and work to regain school spaces taken by them.
The Republican candidate told Chalkbeat this week that he would not “buckle to pressure from anyone” trying to block charter schools in Newark. He added that the city’s charter schools are exceptional, “not only among the best charter schools in the country, but some of the best public schools ever created.”
With record-high charter school applications in Newark for this school year, Ciattarelli said he would “answer that demand by getting students off of wait lists and supporting the growth of high-performing charter schools.” Similarly, Ciattarelli has previously said that by creating a voucher program, which uses tax dollars to cover the cost of student tuition at private schools, families would have more school choice.
When it comes to funding charter schools, Ciattarelli said Newark’s $1.5 billion budget has “enough funding for district and charter schools to share.” But León and other district officials have raised concerns about rising charter school costs year over year. This school year, charter school payments made up the district’s largest expenditure, totaling $401 million, a $47.2 million increase from the 2024-25 school year.
He added that his administration would work with Newark Public Schools “to ensure that every decision, every dollar, every program is laser-focused on improving outcomes for children.”
The Republican candidate believes the state’s Education Department should “get off the back of higher-performing districts” while focusing on underperforming ones, according to his website.
“Local control should empower the district, but, in turn, the district must demonstrate an unwavering commitment to student success and be held accountable when it falls short of this goal,” Ciattarelli said.
Sherrill has not specifically stated her position on expanding charter schools but has expressed support for merging school districts, adding that mandatory consolidation could be considered.
“I’d start by offering the carrot to help the areas that want to consolidate, but when there are areas that are not putting enough money into students, into educators, into the buildings, and then they are taking a lot of money in property taxes and from the state level, then we’ll have to start to look at compulsory movements,” Sherrill said during September’s gubernatorial debate.
The state is home to more than 500 school districts, but 16 are non-operating districts, which have a Board of Education but send their students to schools in other districts. Sherrill, during last month’s debate, said those districts could be the first to merge.
“We have some school districts who have the whole administrative cost, all of the buildings, and yet they’re not even running a K-12 school system, so we do need to merge some of these school districts,” she said.
The Democratic candidate has also said she would expand the state’s Interdistrict Public School Choice Program, which allows students to attend a public school in a different district. That solution would also tackle segregation in schools, Sherrill said to Northjersey.com earlier this month
“I believe that part of the solution should include new regional magnet schools that enroll a diverse group of students from both urban and suburban communities,” Sherrill said.
Will New Jersey’s school funding formula change?
Both candidates have said they would reform the state’s school funding formula, but have dueling approaches.
Newark has historically been one of the most underfunded school districts based on the funding formula, which uses a weighted student formula to give districts financial support in addition to local taxes. The school year, Newark Public Schools received an additional $75 million in funding from New Jersey, making up 84.2% of the district’s budget. City taxes make up 9.1%, an excess fund balance makes up 5.8%, and other local and federal aid make up the remaining 0.9%, according to the budget.
During the September gubernatorial debate, Ciattarelli promised a new funding formula that would reduce property taxes but provided no details about his plans.
“I have a very specific plan on how to lower property taxes. We need a new school funding formula. A more equitable one will help lower the property tax,” Ciattarelli said during the debate.
The Republican candidate also told Chalkbeat this week that he would hold Newark Public Schools accountable for how it spends its money. He pointed to Newark’s misuse of funds after a state investigation revealed a $44,000 “staff fun day” violated laws on how school boards can spend taxpayer money.
“That kind of spending is unacceptable and underscores the need for transparency and accountability,” Ciattarelli said.
Sherrill is also interested in updating the funding formula to lower costs and ensure more equity among school districts. But she is focused on getting federal funding for education back from the Trump administration.
“At almost every level, the federal government right now has limited the money that they’re sending back to New Jersey for education. And as a state that sends so much money to the federal government, that’s offensive.” Sherrill said during October’s gubernatorial debate.
Will a new governor fix old school buildings?
Newark school leaders have long raised concerns about the district’s aging buildings, which are among the oldest in the state. The district has said it would take more than $2 billion to fully repair and update schools.
Ciattarelli told Chalkbeat this week that the state “must make significant and sustained investments in school construction and modernization.”
“These projects are not only essential for student safety and educational outcomes, but they also represent a smart economic investment, creating thousands of family-sustaining construction jobs that strengthen local economies,” Ciattarelli said.
But to make those investments, the next governor must work with the legislature to determine a long-term funding plan for the state’s Schools Development Authority, which oversees construction projects in Newark and 30 other high-poverty school districts. By law, the state must pay for Newark’s school construction.
Ciattarelli said the SDA “needs additional reform” and “should be more transparent in how it selects and prioritizes school construction projects.”
Additionally, charter schools can benefit from facilities funding once the Charter School Facilities Loan Program is funded, Ciattarelli added.
Sherrill has also said that New Jersey has some of the nation’s oldest school infrastructure and updating those facilities is critical and expensive. In Congress, Sherrill has backed bills that include investments in school infrastructure.
During the September gubernatorial debate, the Democratic candidate highlighted the need to fix the state’s school buildings. She pointed to a stairway that fell at a high school in Montclair and a ceiling collapse at an elementary school in Paterson that caused some students to miss school.
“We have to address it, but unfortunately, so much of the money is going to administration right now. We need to move that money into the places that we want to address,” Sherrill said.
Last year, the state agreed to replace 13 of Newark’s oldest school buildings, but that deal leaves out 20 schools in dire need of updates. New Jersey also said it would build the district a new high school, but those plans are stalled until the Schools Development Authority receives more funding.
Where do the candidates stand on cell phones in classrooms?
Both candidates agree that cellphones should not be allowed during class time but differ on the approach.
The state’s Commission on the Effects of Social Media Usage on Adolescents in September recommended a “bell-to-bell” ban on cellphones in schools. State lawmakers are considering a Murphy-backed plan to ban cellphones in classrooms, but the bill has yet to receive a vote in the state Assembly.
If approved, it would require the state’s Education Department to create guidelines on the use of cellphones and social media during class time. It would also require school districts to create guidelines in line with the state.
In Newark Public Schools, students are allowed to bring cellphones into classrooms but the devices must remain on silent or vibrate settings at all times, according to district policy. Students may not use them to make calls, take photos, or videos from within school buildings and parents must sign a user agreement acknowledging that the district assumes no responsibility for any loss or damage to the phone.
Ciattarelli opposes a statewide ban and suggests school districts should work with parents to set their own policies on cellphones in schools.
Sherrill said she supports a statewide ban on cellphones in schools, which is in line with her campaign’s push to raise awareness about the dangers of social media and their effects on youth mental health.
Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.
