Sean Spiller, Past President, New Jersey Education Association

Sean Spiller, past president of the New Jersey Education Association, sat down with Invest: to discuss New Jersey’s top-ranked public schools and how the NJEA is tackling recruitment and retention crises, educator compensation and autonomy, and the union’s role in sustaining quality education and local economic development.

What milestones over the past year have most impacted the New Jersey Education Association and the broader education landscape in the state, and in what ways?

We are always proud and humbled that we have the best schools in the nation. New Jersey consistently ranks as number one when it comes to school systems. That is a huge piece of our success in drawing businesses and families to the state. Our great public schools are at the hub of much of the success we see here. We also know that it will be a key part of our future success. When it comes to preparing for future jobs, we are making sure that our students are prepared and ready for new technologies and the market that is going to be there for them. It all centers around education in so many ways. The state budget reflects that. We are proud of where we are and continue to strive and work hard to meet that success. 

The biggest challenges we face, similar to many other sectors, are recruitment and retention of educators. We need to address the shortage that we are facing. We are at a point now where that can lead to certain classes not being offered, larger class sizes, etc. We do not want to see that. We want to see smaller classes, more individualized attention, and more offerings, and so do the parents. There is an inability to keep people in the sector, with some looking for higher compensation or more work-from-home opportunities. 

I went through the school systems here, but was born in Jamaica, where my mother was a math teacher. When we came to the United States, I always found it interesting to hear her perspective on our school systems. They chose New Jersey because they wanted great schools; that was the core of why we ended up here when we moved to the country. It has always been a foundation for my family. 

Public schools are often at the center of community life. What role do they play in supporting broader economic and workforce development goals for the state?

As you talk about schools being a community hub, that is absolutely true. That is where people get trusted information, opportunities for receiving wrap-around services, and so many other pieces that tie into that. They also provide a great opportunity for partnerships with small local businesses in the regions. This also allows students to get exposure and knowledge in areas that could help those businesses later down the line. The true community school model is looking at the assets in the area and making sure that those assets are brought to bear in terms of supporting the students. The return on investment is that when those students graduate, they are moving into the workforce and going to businesses nearby with knowledge and experience. That model is core to the success of communities. 

There is a lot of conversation as students evaluate whether higher education is worth the money and time. How do we add value to continuing education?

The value proposition has two angles you can look at. The first angle is that you have to say that by going to that higher education institution, when you graduate, you will earn more money. The alternative is to lower the cost of higher education. A challenge is the continuous rise in the costs of higher education. We are also seeing that the compensation has not been able to keep pace with the lack of college affordability. It is costing more and more for students to go to higher education, which leads to them searching for even higher-compensating jobs after graduation because they need to pay off their loans. This begins to exclude students from certain sectors, like education, because it doesn’t pay the same way as other jobs might. As educators, we are not just advocating for K-12 education and what is happening inside the classroom. We are also advocating for affordability, community support, and wrap-around service. We are advocating for things that will make education more valuable. Students are looking at the return on investment and whether it is worth it. 

What initiatives or incentives is NJEA taking to retain talent in New Jersey?

We have talent being produced and graduating through the school system in many different areas. One thing that we always get dinged on as a state is how much of that talent is leaving New Jersey after graduating. From the perspective of education, we first and foremost want to keep quality educators in the state. That is the recruitment and retention that we first need to focus on. The challenge is that so many people are going into other sectors. First, we need to make sure that we are addressing these challenges. People are not coming in, but more importantly, they are also not staying in the profession. After a few years, they are going to do something else. 

Students are going to listen to their parents and their teachers. Many educators are not promoting the education sector to their students. More than ever, we are seeing an erosion in the autonomy that exists. There is more of a “teach to the test” mentality, and much more political influence in the classroom. There is a lot more stress around what is happening more broadly in terms of the stress being put on educators. All of those factors, combined with the fact that we are in a world with remote and hybrid work in other professions, are leading educators not to recommend the job to their students. Ensuring that we have college availability and links to higher education is also key to keeping students in the region.

NJEA has been vocal about the need for mental health and wellness support for students and educators. What new initiatives are being pursued in this area?

We have always been at the forefront of ensuring that our students are cared for and supported. If you do not address students’ mental health, they are not going to learn or perform to their fullest potential. We work with partners in our congressional delegation on programs that can help address mental health. There has been a brighter light shining on it, especially since COVID-19. The challenge arises because we need more counselors and people who can have those conversations with the kids. That is a budget issue. So many districts are facing shrinking budgets because of cuts at the federal level, and many states have not been able to make up the difference. The challenge has been figuring out how to support staff and students’ mental health with a shrinking budget. We know the solutions and work with partners to get that done; however, the real challenge lies in the loss of funds. 

What are your top priorities for the next few years, and how do they align with the state’s broader goals of economic development and workforce readiness?

It relates to our biggest challenges, recruitment and retention. We have to align our vision for the future with how we address that gap. Our focus moving forward is on looking at ways to recruit and retain. We are working with the governor and others regarding our budget to provide more opportunities. That means breaking down barriers to entering the profession and providing support for those who do. That could look like giving some kind of compensation for student teaching or easing some fees that the state charges to enter education. These help to get rid of some of the barriers to entry. It is also important to give educators autonomy. Bringing in quality professionals and letting them do their job is key. They know what they are doing, and we need to provide the support and tools. Compensation is also important, whether through their paycheck or in their benefits. Focusing on these aspects will allow us to maintain our position as the number one school system in the nation. This feeds the cycle of businesses being able to recruit as well. 

The core is in the unions. Educators want to have a voice in decision-making and have the ability to share their creative ideas. Without that broader support, it is hard to do that. Being a singular voice is challenging. Unions allow us to connect with others who are similarly minded and focused. This can help ensure that people do not burn out too quickly, because if you are fighting alone, your career gets shorter, and you lose passion. Support can inspire people and allow them to have much longer, more successful careers.