The State Board of Education has voted to keep a code that ensures students have equal access to education across the state. Yesterday’s vote, preceding Election Day Tuesday had faced a motion after a summer where LGBTQ+ rights were a hot topic in New Jersey. In August the Board voted 6-5 to switch out the word “equality” for “equity” and used gender-neutral language in equity code.
In discussion before the vote, Board member Ronald Butcher said, “This chapter was in the public for an extensive period of time.” He later stated, “We’re hearing of lot of opposition, in my mind, a smaller percentage of the population that has a vested interest, they are very well organized, they are very well able to communicate their interests, but I don’t know if those interests of all the children in all the school districts.”
The vote on yesterday’s motion was 5-4.
