There is a monopoly of mediocrity in American education.
The challenge to New Jersey: Break it.
The great “Wizard of Menlo Park,” Thomas Edison, once said, “The three things that are most essential to achievement are common sense, hard work and stick-to-it-iv-ness.” It is an ethic that has served New Jersey well, helped the state weather many storms, and made it one of the first great centers for innovation in the United States.
Student achievement in New Jersey schools is evidence of hard work and perseverance in the Garden State.
According to the Nation’s Report Card, New Jersey ranks second in the United States in overall fourth- and eighth-grade reading achievement. The state has a four-year high school graduation rate of 86.5 percent.
Good news — but not nearly good enough.