Fox & Friends Fall for Conservative Rage Bait About New Jersey Teachers Not Needing to Be Able to Read

Viewers of Fox & Friends will be forgiven if they now believe that the state of New Jersey no longer requires its school teachers to be able to read to get a job because that’s precisely how a new state law, signed by Governor Phil Murphy, was presented as news Monday morning.

The law, designed to remove redundant and unnecessary testing procedures, was entirely misrepresented by news presenter Carly Shimkus and the morning show co-hosts.

The bill intends to streamline the hiring process and fill open teaching spots by easing restrictions and losing unnecessary testing steps. However, the bill first gained attention in conservative outrage circles, which seemed to have started with the social media account Amuse, which was amplified by Charlie Kirk and Elon Musk and then was misleadingly covered by Fox News Digital on Sunday.

Kirk quoted the following image: “Imagine being illiterate and thinking to yourself, “You know what, I think I’ll go into teaching.”
The state’s role when it comes to deranged people like this is to protect children from them, not enable their idiocy by helping spread it to the next generation.”

Elon Musk later quoted Kirk’s comment with a simple “Unreal,” giving credence to the idea that the state of New Jersey is seriously entertaining the hiring of illiterate individuals as educators in the state’s public schools.

Of course, that’s not true. The law is designed to remove redundant extraneous testing procedures. As Elizabeth Meyers reported for TapInto.com:

The law prohibits the NJ State Board of Education from mandating a department of education commissioner-created program that would require educators from taking additional tests in basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills to obtain their instructional certificate. These tests include, but not limited to, the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, as a condition for certification or admission.

The law, however, does not apply to cases with a limited certificate of eligibility or a limited certificate of eligibility with advanced standing.

In other words, to become a teacher in New Jersey, there are plenty of standards that one has to prove, including being able to read. Getting rid of this test does not mean that teachers do not have to be able to read because, duh.

Shimkus introduced the news item, saying, “In New Jersey, where teachers are no longer required to take a basic reading, writing, and math skill test to become eligible to teach in public schools. The new law got the seal of approval from Governor Phil Murphy and went into effect at the start of the New Year in an effort to combat teacher shortages. The effort has been backed by New Jersey Democrats like State Senator Jim Beach, who says, quote, We need more teachers. This is the best way to get them.”

“So they’ve lowered the standard,” Steve Doocy followed. “The teachers don’t have to take a math and reading test.” The co-hosts all jumped into mock the moronic idea for being moronic — though for entirely different reasons.

Of course, to become a New Jersey public school teacher, one must have a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, among other requirements; the only thing that’s changing is removing the Praxis Core Academic Skills for Educators test, which seems redundant given the other requirements needed, 

Watch above via Fox News,