Legislation signed by Gov. Phil Murphy in August 2019 (P.L.2019, c.256) and amended in November 2022 (P.L.2022, c.119) established a grant program that provides additional remuneration for public school teachers to teach Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math classes in nonpublic schools during hours in which the teacher has no conflicting public school duties. Eligible teachers must meet one of the following criteria:

  • Hold certification to teach STEM.
  • Currently enrolled in a STEM certification program.
  • Provide a written commitment to pursue a STEM program within two years.
  • Currently teach STEM and will teach a subject and grade level in the nonpublic school for which the teacher holds appropriate certification, including certification without a specific subject matter endorsement where permitted by N.J.S.A. 18A:26-1 et seq.

Key steps to be taken by nonpublic schools, public school districts, and interested teachers are listed below.

Background

The grant program is designed to incentivize teachers to obtain the necessary qualifications to teach STEM subjects, incentivize individuals to enter the teaching profession to fill the demand for qualified educators in STEM subjects, help address the difficulties public and nonpublic schools face in attracting qualified educators in the STEM fields and improve statewide access to education in the STEM fields to address the workforce demands of New Jersey’s economy.

Key Steps/Actions

  1. By Dec. 13, 2024, public school administrators must notify all teachers employed by the district of the grant program and share this TeachSTEM survey link for interested teachers to submit their contact information.
  2. Teachers interested in participating in the program must submit their contact information via the survey by Jan. 15, 2025.
  • Nonpublic schools that wish to participate in the grant program can request the list of interested teachers via email  or contacting their respective County Office of Education after Jan. 15, 2025. The nonpublic schools will contact teachers on the lists directly to pursue possible teaching arrangements.
  • Nonpublic schools that wish to participate in the grant program must submit a completed application by March 18, 2025. The grant application will be available by mid-December on the Nonpublic School Services website.
  • Grant recipients are expected to be announced in June 2025, and teaching will begin in the 2025-2026 school year. The teachers’ remuneration will be based on their annual district salary as calculated on a per-hour basis multiplied by the number of hours of instruction provided at the nonpublic school multiplied by 1.25.

Contact information

For questions, please contact the NJDOE via email.