As Election Day approaches, residents can always find increased political activity and ambitious plans decorating the news. Incumbent Governor Phil Murphy was no exception to this, waiting until the day before Election Day to announce $2 million in state grants for his ambitious ‘Computer Science for All’ Plan.
Politics aside, this plan presents a forward-thinking plan to not only include computer science in public schools but also, to ensure that the quality of these programs truly prepares students for the professional world! Currently, New Jersey has over 15,000 unfilled computer science jobs (which pay an average annual salary of $107,000), and Murphy wants our public school students to fill those jobs and take the state to the next level.
Governor Murphy’s new plan aims to fill this STEM gap by developing rigorous computer science standards at all grade levels, statewide, through a multi-pronged approach of:
- Increasing the pool of computer science teachers available
- Updating the curriculum to mirror professional standards
- Using data-driven instruction to ensure that students are getting the full benefit of these classes
So far, 44 school districts have received grants to focus specifically on STEM for the 2019-2020 school year, and part of the new funds will be allocated for more schools to begin next year.
The latest grants will be given to three universities in each of NJ’s 4 regions to train teachers from Title 1 schools (schools with a large concentration of low-income students), as well as to 15 high schools to provide computer science education to a more diverse pool of students.
While such plans are definitely a step in the right direction, don’t wait for them to reach your kids! Genie Academy offers amazing coding classes at each center, that are taught by current working professionals – try a class for free today, and discover what your child is capable of, right now
