Press release from state Senator Vin Gopal

New Jersey Senate Education Committee Chair Vin Gopal toured the New Jersey Tutoring Corps’ (NJTC) high-impact summer tutoring site in Red Bank last week.

The center, located at the Red Bank’s Boys and Girls Club on Drs. James Parker Boulevard, is one of three NJTC tutoring locations in Monmouth County and one of 23 NJTC sites established this summer, serving over 2,000 scholars.

NJTC is a statewide public and private partnership established after the pandemic to address the education crisis plaguing schools across New Jersey. Recent New Jersey Student Learning Assessments show that 64.6 percent and 51.1 percent of New Jersey students are currently not meeting grade-level expectations in Math and ELA, respectively. Since NJTC’s high-impact statewide tutoring initiative was created, independent evaluators have found that participating child scholars increased their average grade level in math from 16 percent to 40 percent and from 23 percent to 40 percent in literacy during the 2022-23 school year. Most recently, it was announced that the FY2024 New Jersey state budget would include $1.5 million in funding for NJTC.

“Senator Gopal has been one of NJTC’s greatest advocates. In the simplest of words, without his leadership and support, New Jersey would not have this vital high-impact tutoring initiative,” stated Katherine Bassett, CEO of the NJTC. “We are thrilled the Senator will be visiting our Red Bank site to help showcase the progress New Jersey is making this summer, specifically highlighting the work we are doing in Red Bank and Monmouth County, and thanking the site coordinators, instructional coaches, and tutors who stand committed to ensuring every child receives the strongest public education possible.”