• NJ Standards Advocates

    As New Jersey Standards Advocates, we work to empower educators to develop evidence-based skills, knowledge, and resources designed to encourage best practices in teaching and to build capacity among educators throughout the state.  

    Take the Core Advocates survey to engage in the state and national level of Core Advocate work.

  • Our Mission

    All New Jersey students should have the opportunity to learn in classrooms that are standards-based and aligned to the instructional Shifts. NJ Standards Advocates believe in the power of networking and engaging with other educators to move instructional practice towards alignment with the Shifts. NJ Standards Advocates are important avenues through which we move the work. We attend and present at local, state, and national conferences.

  • Our Work

    New Jersey Standards Advocates are able to access 

    • to direct connections to an immediate support system as you work within your own professional networks. New Jersey Standards Advocates work in every grade level preK-16 across all fields, all types of districts, and participate in a broad range of state and national professional organizations. By joining this network, you will be connected to key colleagues when you have questions or need support, problem-solving collaboration, or have an idea you'd like to bring to life around implementing the instructional Shifts at the center of New Jersey’s Student Learning Standards.
    • regular access to free, high quality instructional resources and the opportunity to participate in the creation of additional instructional tools that can be used across our state or the U.S.
    • to multiple doorways that will allow you to stretch your leadership legs and use your voice to support all New Jersey students and New Jersey’s Student Learning Standards.

    New Jersey Standards Based Challenge 

    New Jersey Standards Advocates have identified standards based challenges in ELA/literacy and math.  In  ELA/literacy students have different levels of knowledge, and language, and vocabulary which impact students' ability to access complex text. In math students' perception of math as a series of isolated topics often result in misconceptions. 

    To address the ELA/literacy challenge New Jersey Standards Advocates work to create opportunities for all students to build knowledge through complex text in ELA and across content areas. 

    To address the challenge in math  New Jersey Standards Advocates work to explore connections within and between math concepts so that students have a more coherent understanding of math. 

  • Who We Are

    New Jersey Core Advocate Captain - Natalie Franzi

    Natalie has been working as a Core Advocate with SAP since 2015. She is the K-12 Director of Curriculum, Instruction & Special Projects of the Middletown Township Public Schools leadership team. Natalie was named a 2016 ASCD Emerging Leader. She is part of the NJASCD executive board, holding the positions of Secretary and North Region Co-Director.  Natalie has been active in the edcamp movement in NJ, helping plan edcampNJ, edcamp Jersey Shore, and edcamp Leadership North Jersey. This year she has been focusing on NJ's ESSA implementation, helping to create the NJDOE's ESSA plan as part of the Stakeholder Committee. Follow her on Twitter @nataliefranzi.

    NJ Standards Math Leadership Team

    • John Fritzky @JohnFritzky
    • Arpi Lajinian @ALajinian
    • Denise Rawding @DeniseRawding
    • Josh Zargoski @JZagorski1

    NJ Standards Literacy Leadership Team

    • Amy Baskin @baskina87
    • Melissa Butler @angelinashy
    • Steve Figurelli @SteveFigurelli
    • Amy Fratz @acfratz
    • Karen Harris
  • Stay Informed

    If you would like to participate in this work, please consider: