Sarah Sterling-Laldee testifies at N.J. Department of Education meeting on pending changes
PATERSON – The district’s Director of STEAM Education spoke in support of pending changes to English language arts (ELA) and mathematics standards at the N.J. Department of Education hearing this week, saying that the changes would better prepare students for a changing world.
“As we all know, our world continues to change at a pace that far exceeds our comprehension,” said Sarah Sterling-Laldee at a hearing held Monday at the Warren County Technical School in Washington, N.J. “While this makes it challenging to provide learning opportunities that anticipate these changes, standards revision like the ones that are currently under review help prepare our children to pivot in a changing world.”
CLICK HERE to read Sterling-Laldee’s complete testimony.
Among the changes Sterling-Laldee highlighted was a new data literacy component added to mathematics. She also spoke in favor of adding climate change standards in both math and ELA, which she said will help students make real-world connections across different content areas.
“The learning opportunities proposed in the new standards will prepare our children to engage in new and emerging careers that utilize data science in critical decision-making to support healthy communities and a thriving planet,” she said. “Furthermore, including climate change standards in ELA and math, particularly in grades K to 5, create additional opportunities for students to engage in foundational science and civics learning that are critical to their future success in STEM classes and potential STEM careers, and as active citizens.”
Implementing strategies to uphold the changes to the new standards won’t be easy, Sterling-Laldee said, but Paterson Public Schools educators are up for the challenge.
“In Paterson, we are enthusiastically poised to embark on this work as it helps meet our goal to support learners who can best care for themselves, their communities, and their planet,” she said.
Sterling-Laldee, an alumna of Paterson Public Schools, has previously worked as a middle school teacher in Paterson as well as Supervisor of Science Education for grades K to 12 for the district as well as for New Brunswick Public Schools.
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