Dear New Jersey Educators,

Year after year, New Jersey’s public education system is ranked one of -- if not the best -- in the nation. This achievement is a point of pride for our state and would not be possible without the dedication, creativity, and skillfulness of our educational professionals.

Your work is not simply job preparation. You teach each generation to communicate, to think critically, and to be curious about the world around them.

As we face the reality of the climate crisis as a state, we must also help the next generation of leaders prepare for the environmental challenges of the future. Through the incorporation of climate change education across our New Jersey Student Learning Standards, your classrooms and communities can become even greater incubators for cutting-edge ideas, critical and creative thinking, and practical problem-solving, to best cultivate a generation of solutions and plans that are sustainable. 

The challenge ahead of us is great. But, with the Governor’s commitment to reaching 100 percent clean energy by 2050 and a host of other green initiatives, New Jersey is positioned to be a leader of the climate movement – now and in the future. Together, we can ensure that our students are equipped with the knowledge and resources needed to combat the climate crisis, no matter what career they choose.

I know our students couldn’t possibly be in better hands, and I thank you all!

My very best,

First Lady Tammy Murphy