Ruiz, Pou Express Extreme Concern over State Board of Ed Member’s Insensitive Comments at Meeting

Trenton – Senate Education Chair Senator M. Teresa Ruiz and Senator Nellie Pou issued the following statement calling on the Murphy Administration to take action regarding the insensitive questions asked during the State Board of Education Meeting on May 1:

“United States History is required by the state Department of Education throughout our K-12 education. It is shocking that a State Board of Education member would suggest that American history, as a subject, is not being taught in one of our school districts. It’s offensive and unacceptable that anyone, much less a member of the board, would suggest that the students are somehow struggling in the course because they are immigrants or the children of immigrants.

“The diversity we see in our classrooms is an asset and to believe otherwise is appallingly ahistorical. It is something that improves everyone’s learning experience and our State Board of Education members should view it as such or they should not be in their position. We do not know what Board Member Jack Fornaro’s intent was in asking his questions but at the very least they came off as extremely troubling. We hope that the administration takes every available measure to rectify this situation and prevent further incidents like this.”