New Jersey A 4419: Permits use of combination of in-person and virtual or remote instruction in 2020-2021 school year to meet minimum 180-day school year requirement.

Bill Text

A4419 

ASSEMBLY, No. 4419 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 19, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman� JAY WEBBER

District 26 (Morris and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� �School Children First Act�; establishes factors for 
determining compensation; requires principal consent for teacher placement; 
eliminates certain seniority rights. 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As introduced.

�� 

An Act concerning certain teaching staff members, 
supplementing chapters 6 and 29 of Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and 
revising various parts of the statutory law.

���� Be It 
Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� (New section)� This act 
shall be known and may be cited as the �School Children First Act.�

���� 2.��� (New section)��� a.�� A 
school district shall annually report the number of teachers in each school who 
received a rating of ineffective, partially effective, effective, and highly 
effective on the annual summative evaluation.� The report shall be published on 
the school district�s website.

���� b.��� The Commissioner of 
Education shall annually report the number of teachers, principals, assistant 
principals, and vice-principals in each school district who received a rating 
of ineffective, partially effective, effective, and highly effective on the annual 
summative evaluation.� The report shall be published on the Department of 
Education�s website.

���� c.���� Notwithstanding the 
provisions of subsections a. and b. of this section to the contrary, a school 
district and the commissioner shall not report results that may lead to the 
identification of the rating of an individual.� The commissioner shall 
establish standards to be used in determining when the results of the annual 
summative evaluation shall not be reported.

���� 3.��� (New section)��� a.�� A 
board of education shall adopt a salary schedule or compensation policy for 
teaching staff members employed in the position of teacher, principal, 
assistant principal, or vice-principal in which the individual�s salary is 
determined primarily by:

���� (1)�� the teaching staff 
member�s demonstrated effectiveness in advancing student learning, as 
determined by the staff member�s annual effectiveness rating;

���� (2)�� the teaching staff 
member�s assignment to a failing school, as identified by the Commissioner of 
Education; and

���� (3)�� the teaching staff 
member teaching a subject area that the commissioner has designated as a 
difficult to staff subject area.

���� b.��� A board of education 
shall not adopt a salary schedule or compensation policy for teaching staff 
members employed in the position of teacher, principal, assistant principal, or 
vice-principal in which the individual�s years of employment is a primary determinant 
of the individual�s salary.

���� c.���� The salary schedule or 
compensation policy for teaching staff members employed in the position of 
teacher, principal, assistant principal, or vice-principal adopted by a board 
of education shall not provide additional compensation for academic credits earned 
or degrees attained unless:

���� (1)�� the commissioner has 
determined that attainment of the academic credit or degree will have a 
demonstrably positive effect on student achievement; and

���� (2)�� the teaching staff 
member is teaching or practicing in the subject area in which the academic 
credit or degree was attained.

���� d.��� Regulations shall be 
promulgated pursuant to section 19 of P.L.��� , c.�� (C. ) (pending before the 
Legislature as this bill) pertaining to the compensation of teaching staff 
members employed in the positions of teacher, principal, assistant principal, 
and vice-principal, and they shall be binding upon and supersede any 
district-adopted salary schedule or compensation policy that may be 
inconsistent with the regulations.

���� e.���� A school district shall 
adopt the salary schedule or compensation policy required pursuant to this 
section by the 2022-2023 school year, provided however that any salary schedule 
or compensation policy that is set out in any existing collective bargaining 
agreement need not conform to the requirements set forth in regulations until 
such time as the agreement expires.� No collective bargaining agreement or 
other contract entered into by a school district after July 1, 2022 shall 
conflict with the salary schedule or compensation policy set forth in 
regulations.

���� 4.��� N.J.S.18A:6-31.1 is 
amended to read as follows:

���� 18A:6-31.1.���� Whenever any 
district is divided into two or more districts those persons having tenure, in 
office, position or employment in such district in positions other than 
teacher, principal, assistant principal, or vice-principal, shall continue 
to have tenure in the district which comprises the territory in which they were 
serving at the time of the division; the persons having tenure in office, 
position or empl