False Hope: New Jersey Kids Aren't Ready for College

What should a high school diploma tell us about a student’s readiness for college? Join us for an in-person panel discussion on math readiness in New Jersey following the release of False Hope: New Jersey Kids Aren’t Ready for College. The conversation will explore the gap between high school graduation and preparation for college-level math—and what it means for students pursuing a degree and a career.

Together, we’ll consider how schools, colleges, and policymakers can strengthen math preparation, provide families with clear information about student readiness, and help students enter college prepared to succeed.

The discussion will take place on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. at Rutgers University, Hill Center for Mathematical Sciences, Room 705 located on the Busch Campus at 110 Frelinghuysen Road, Piscataway, NJ. Register below to join the conversation.

For those unable to join in person, a recording of the video will be made available after the event.

Chad Aldeman

Chad Aldeman is a nationally recognized expert on education policy, including school finance; teacher preparation, evaluation, and compensation; and state standards, assessment, and accountability.

Paula L White

Paula L White is the executive director of JerseyCAN, a statewide education policy and advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring every child in New Jersey has access to a high quality education.  Her career in education includes teaching elementary grades; founding and leading a public charter school; and serving as the chief of school improvement statewide in public schools. She was an appointed member of the New Jersey Council for Young Children and served also on the editorial board of a professional journal published by the National Council of Teachers of English. Selected for Politico’s Education Power List and  InsiderNJ's Policy Makers Power List, her efforts in leading a literacy coalition and authoring an impactful policy brief resulted in the passage of New Jersey’s most sweeping literacy legislation to date. A graduate of Spelman College and Columbia University, she has been featured across various local and national media including CBS Evening News, NPR, PBS, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and News12 New Jersey, providing a strong policy perspective on a wide range of education issues.

Alex Kontorovich

Alex Kontorovich is a Distinguished Professor and the Chair of the Department of Mathematics at Rutgers University. He received a BA from Princeton, a PhD from Columbia, and taught at Brown, Stony Brook, and Yale before moving to Rutgers. Kontorovich is also the President of the Association for Mathematical Research, and the Founder and Executive Director of the Rutgers Math Corps, a summer day camp for middle and high school students, modeled on the national Math Corps program that's been running for over 30 years out of Detroit.

Dr. Nannette Wright

Dr. Nannette Wright is an accomplished defense industry executive, strategic advisor, and consultant with more than 20 years of experience leading complex programs, transforming organizations, developing high-performing teams, and mentoring emerging leaders.   

She has held senior leadership roles at Lockheed Martin, L3Harris, and Raytheon Technologies with expertise in strategic planning, program and risk management, Non-Destructive Testing, and leadership development.  

Beyond industry, Dr. Wright is a passionate advocate for STEM, education, and mentorship.   She has served in numerous board and community leadership roles. She was inducted into the University of Texas Mechanical Engineering Hall of Fame as a Distinguished Alumni in 2022.  Dr. Wright holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a concentration in Nuclear Engineering and is a contributing author of the Amazon bestselling book Women Leading by Faith: Make a Difference Now!