Testimony of Rachel Goldberg
Assembly Education Committee
October 17, 2022

My name is Rachel Goldberg and I serve as Superintendent of the Springfield Public Schools. I
am honored to join you today to offer my testimony regarding the impacts of the COVID
pandemic on students. Before I begin, I would like to express my gratitude to all of you for
seeking out our voices. In particular, I would like to thank Assemblywoman Matsikoudis for her
commitment to our students, and for engaging Superintendents in Union County in recent
discussions around school security. I would also like to recognize Assemblywoman Jasey, the
assembly representative for the district where I live, for her commitment to listening to the
experiences of educators.
I began my career as a teacher in Elizabeth Public Schools, later serving as Assistant
Superintendent in Passaic Public Schools, and joining the Springfield Public Schools in my first
superintendency in July 2020; my perspective will always include my experiences in both urban
and suburban districts. I am honored to serve on the Executive Committee of the Garden State
Coalition of Schools, and as a parent of three children enrolled in public elementary, middle, and
high schools.
Before I begin, I would like to take a moment to recognize our district leaders, principals,
educators, and support staff, who make our schools run. The thoughts I share with you today
are linked to the gratitude I feel for the legion of folks working every day to support our students.
First, I would like to share my perspectives regarding the “lived experiences and academic
challenges” presented by our students this year.
COVID significantly affected our students and educators over the past 2 1⁄2 years. While the
2021-2022 school year marked the beginning of a slow return to a new normal, it was far from
the “normal” we all expected. The school year was impacted by new variants, managing ten
days of school exclusion for positive cases, planning schedules and personnel assignments
based on social distancing, and managing policies related to vaccination eligibility and testing
regimens.
Some students were out of school for significant amounts of time, and in many schools, staffing
was a daily challenge. Schools were open, but we were faced with ongoing interrupted learning
due to staffing and exclusion protocols.
Please know that this is not meant as a criticism, but rather a recognition that last year
represented a first step toward what will be a long recovery period.
As we think of the impact of the pandemic on our systems, I have to start by recognizing that I
am certainly a different leader and parent than I was three years ago, and I have no doubt that
you are different legislators. This experience will impact the rest of our lives. There is a level of

gravity in acknowledging this truth as we evaluate our current environment, and navigate the
learning experiences ahead.
We welcomed students back to school this September as close to “normal” as possible, and
from afar, while it bears the hallmarks of a traditional school year, we are all changed. Our
students carry their experiences from throughout the pandemic with them as well. Some were
able to maintain academic progress, while some dealt with significant hardships; all of which
have been impacted by the economic, social, and emotional challenges in their home
environments and communities that surround them.
With that understanding, we are looking closely at our data to guide our instruction and
programming for our students.
In Springfield, multiple levels of assessment occur to determine the level and type of student
needs using a wide variety of data sources, from attendance and grades to standards-aligned
benchmarks, to identify the level of student needs. On a daily basis, our teachers are looking
closely at the needs of our students, and tailoring their instruction to meet those needs.
Our strategies are not based on a single assessment taken at a single point in time, but rather
continuous points of analysis about a student's level of understanding and processing of critical
skill sets. Last year, we also added a weekly Social-Emotional check-in for middle and high
school students, to help gather perspectives on school belonging, social support, and
well-being.
As I say this, I think it is critical to note that no set of numbers tell a full story; rather they are a
snapshot in time of a variety of factors. We are not using the data gathered to make judgments,
but to ask relevant questions about our students’ learning experiences, and use those questions
to guide our steps forward.
Tonight, at our Board of Education meeting, we will present our Spring NJSLA data, and set a
new baseline to measure student academic progress moving forward.
As a result of our ongoing collection of data, and the feedback from our educators, we
developed programs and adjusted practices to support student learning, and we are thankful for
the support and participation of our community
Federal COVID-related funding provided financial resources to support critical initiatives. In
Springfield, it allowed us to support a high-school credit recovery program, expand in-school
and after-school academic support, fund academic interventionists, provide additional social
workers to support mental health, and offer expanded summer academic programs to include
social-emotional support.

Springfield parents, students, and the community are participating in opportunities to support
extended learning, while voicing their desire for their children to enjoy “typical” student life
experiences that make the school communities special places.
The work of our schools and community has resulted in progress.
Academically, our students are learning. Our academic benchmark data has provided clear
evidence of ongoing learning over the last two years. At this early point in the year, we still have
students struggling with anxiety and mental health, and our school counselors have continued to
provide support. At the same time, our seniors are applying for college, while students in other
grades are preparing for the fall high school drama or middle school musical. They have
disagreements over four-square, and participated in Week of Respect activities. Families are
attending Back to School Nights, and first marking-period progress reports are being shared.
I would like to conclude my remarks by suggesting some ways that the Legislature might
support educators as we look forward to continuing the progress made to date.
My recommendations are based on consultation with the President of the Springfield Education
Association, and the leader of our Principals’ Association, and conversations with teachers,
parents, and my fellow district leaders.
First, I would respectfully ask our legislators and leaders to balance the messaging relating to
“Learning Loss,” I hope we make this a narrative about recovery, not only academic but also
emotional recovery. Let’s not be sucked into a narrative about failure, but rather about what
schools need to provide the support our students actually need.
Before adding any new assessments or changing learning standards, Let’s give our kids time to
enjoy their learning experiences. Let’s not change graduation requirements, shift evaluation
requirements, or add unnecessary assessments. We cannot forget that one of the most
important lessons of COVID is that our classrooms are truly critical for the economic and social
development of our country. The learning and development that happens in our classrooms is
truly sacred and must be protected.
Second, we need the legislature to look closely at school funding, and recognize that the federal
CARES, and ESSER funds provided critical support that will no longer be affordable when the
funds are depleted. Dramatic inflation in costs such as transportation, health care, and
infrastructure threaten our budgets. We must ask that the Legislature look closely at future state
budgets, recognizing that the federal investment in our schools was essential to pandemic
recovery, but additional support will be critical in the years ahead to meet the new, changed
needs of our students and staff impacted and exacerbated by the pandemic.
From an immediate and practical perspective, please look at the impact the current QSAC
reporting requirements will have on schools- no school system should be judged by the
Department of Education based on the difference in student achievement between the Spring of

2019 and the Spring of 2022. We should not be using comparative data to evaluate the quality
of our education systems.
Finally, before the committee votes on any more education-related bills, we ask that you
consider carefully whether or not the policy or bill will actually make the experience of a child in
a classroom better. Will it give a teacher more time to spend when a child is struggling with the
first sounds of a word? Will it give the counselor any more time to support a 7th grader suffering
from anxiety? Will it give the principal time to join a grade-level team meetings? Will it give me
more time in the schools, and less time in technical assistance sessions or searching for dollars
to support another mandate? Will it give school board members more time to listen to productive
dialogue that leads to positive changes in policies to strengthen their systems?
While there are no easy answers, educators across this state can provide the critical feedback
necessary to help our schools provide our students with the positive, affirming, and challenging
learning experiences that will continue to make New Jersey among the best in the country.
Please continue to seek their feedback first as we work to support our educators and students.
Thank you for your time and consideration.