Educators Tackle Math and Reading Gaps at Camden Forum
Rutgers-Camden hosted a symposium on improving math and reading test scores, with a keynote on coping with change.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Secondary Education
Live Poll
Do you think your local schools are doing enough to teach kids math and reading?
Educators gathered Thursday at Rutgers-Camden in Camden, New Jersey, for a symposium focused on ways to raise children's math and reading test scores. Organized through the university's Community Leadership Center, the event featured keynote speaker Nick Tasler discussing the psychology of dealing with change.
Why it matters
Fewer than half of area students tested were proficient in English and math, which is the stated reason the symposium emphasized change. For Camden-area families and schools, the gathering reflects local efforts to address the gap in core academic skills.
Fewer than half of the area students tested were proficient in English and math. No exact proficiency percentage or comparison to prior years was reported in the symposium coverage.
The players
Rutgers-Camden
Rutgers University's Camden campus, a public university in Camden, New Jersey, that hosted the symposium on campus.
Nick Tasler
An organizational psychologist and speaker who delivered the keynote on the psychology of dealing with change.
The details
Dr. Gloria Bonilla-Santiago, director of the Community Leadership Center at Rutgers-Camden, invited organizational psychologist Nick Tasler to deliver the keynote. The symposium was dedicated to exploring ways to improve children's math and reading test scores in the Camden area.
Timeline
Thursday, November 5, 2026: Educators gathered at Rutgers-Camden for the symposium.
Season Trajectory
The symposium responds to a shortfall in which fewer than half of area students tested were proficient in English and math, a gap educators in Camden are now working to address. Framing the challenge around change suggests local educators see reform as the next step after current results.
Camden-area families with children in local schools may see new approaches to math and reading instruction as educators act on the symposium's focus. The shortfall in proficiency means students in the area are directly affected by any changes that follow.
The takeaway
Improving foundational skills depends on educators confronting proficiency gaps directly, and the symposium signals that local schools are beginning that work in Camden.
Further reading
Explore more on Secondary Education to see how schools are approaching math and reading achievement.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Audacy.
Live Poll
Do you think your local schools are doing enough to teach kids math and reading?
