Newcomer Academy in Mercer County Aims to Help New Arrivals to the USA - New Jersey School Boards Association
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N e w J e r s e y ’s E d u c a t i o n N e w s M o n t h l y D i g e s t • D e c e m b e r 2 0 , 2 0 2 1 • Vo l u m e X LV N u m b e r 1 5 / 1 6 / 1 7 / 1 8
New Jersey School Boards Association
S C H O O L B O A R D
DIGEST
Newcomer Academy in Mercer County School Dashboard
Aims to Help New Arrivals to the USA Reveals COVID-19 Data
Do you want data — broken down by
county — on COVID-19 cases in New
Dr. James Fazzone ‘What do you think?’” Fazzone said. Jersey schools?
recalls giving a tour to The student looked him square in the eye There’s now a dashboard for that at
an English language and said the only word of English he uttered www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/covid2019_
learner from Vietnam dashboard.shtml. Once on the page,
the entire tour: “Easy.”
select “Schools” at the top of the menu
while completing an Math is a universal language — just like
bar to review the latest COVID school data.
administrative intern- autobody work, culinary arts, horticulture, Speaking at a media briefing Nov. 22,
ship at Steinert High building trades and other such subjects, Gov. Phil Murphy announced the New
School in Hamilton. Fazzone said. Jersey Department of Health’s launch of the
“It seemed he That was what hit him that day, and also dashboard, which includes K-12 schools
Dr. James Fazzone as well as colleges and universities.
just didn’t speak one what made him so excited to launch the
“This data goes beyond the numbers
word of English,” said Fazzone, now the Hernández Newcomer SLIFE Academy at currently reported weekly and which are
interim superintendent of the Mercer County the Arthur R. Sypek Center in Pennington in related solely to instances of in-school
Technical School District. “But I was told his September, a new academy that serves Eng- transmission,” Murphy said. “This dash-
transcripts were good.” lish language learners at the Mercer County board breaks down the data by county,
When Fazzone walked the student into a and the department is continuing its out-
Technical School District. (SLIFE stands for
reach with school districts to ensure as
classroom, there was a “high-end math prob- “students with limited or interrupted formal
robust a report as possible.”
lem” on the blackboard that looked like it was education.”) Dr. Christina Tan, state epidemiologist,
written by Albert Einstein, he said. The Newcomer Academy was named after said while not every school is reporting
“I pointed at it and asked the student, continued on page 6 COVID data, health officials are antici-
pating more schools will do so, which
will make the dashboard more robust.
“For the purpose of monitoring trends,
we feel this type of information is very
NJSBA Leaders Highlight Accomplishments, valuable for schools, for parents, for
administrators to get a sense of what is
Vision for the Future at Delegate Assembly the disease burden,” she said. “We have
to remember that the cases that are being
Irene LeFebvre, president of the New Jersey tinue to encourage boards to take advantage of reported might not have occurred through
School Boards Association, presided over the the information and training it provides. “We in-school transmission. These are self-
know for a fact that highly-functioning boards reported cases, for example, that parents
Nov. 20 Delegate Assembly, noting that the
and staff might be reporting or that we’re
Association “rose to the challenge” in deliver- have a major impact on the achievement of
picking up from the school testing itself.”
ing a second straight Virtual Workshop. students,” she said. “We have a sacred respon- During the briefing, the governor
“Our keynote speakers did a wonderful sibility to push forward with our mission.” and health officials highlighted a recent
job, including Maura Baker, the student rep- Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, executive increase in transmission and hospitaliza-
resentative to the New Jersey State Board of director of the New Jersey School Boards tions, noting that they are hopeful that
more people will get vaccinated for the
Education, who spoke so eloquently,” she said. Association, gave his semiannual report to
first time or get a booster shot to keep
“I thought she was incredible.” stakeholders at the Delegate Assembly, which COVID-19 in check.
LeFebvre noted that the NJSBA must con- continued on page 4
N e w J e r s e y S c h o o l B o a r d s A s s o c i a t i o n 1LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Legislators Act on a Wide Array compile the test pass rates of candidates for an submitted to the committee, the NJSBA cited both
of Education Bills instructional certificate into a comparative profile of cost and constitutional concerns with the legislation.
all educator preparation programs. The pass rates The NJSBA was joined by the New Jersey State
A bill that would require the commissioner of edu- will be included within the documentation required League of Municipalities, New jersey Association of
cation to prepare a series of reports on student for the commissioner of education’s periodic review Counties and the New Jersey Association of School
learning loss during the COVID-19 pandemic has of educator preparation programs. Business Officials in opposition to the bill.
resurfaced and appears to be on its way to final
legislative approval. The proposal was approved by COVID Assistance Reporting A-5999 requires Dec. 2 Voting Session
the full Senate last December and by an Assembly NJDOE to annually report to the governor and
Legislature the amount of federal aid related to On Thursday, Dec. 2, the Senate and General
committee in January. It had been scheduled for a
COVID relief it receives and distributes to districts Assembly convened for their first scheduled voting
final floor vote in March but was pulled. On Dec.
as well as the purposes for which grant funds were sessions since June. The Senate acted on a number
9, the bill went back to committee to adjust the
used by these districts. Additionally, NJDOE would of education-related bills, including several that
deadlines by which the reports must be issued.
submit a final report regarding the expenditure of the governor conditionally vetoed last month. The
Under A-5126/S-3214, the commissioner of
federal grant funds received to address the impact Assembly was also scheduled to vote on a number
education would be tasked with preparing two
of COVID-19 on public education no later than six of bills the NJSBA had been actively tracking. How-
reports on the impact of the COVID-19 public health
months following the complete exhaustion of funds ever, the Assembly voting session was cut short
emergency on public schooling. The first report
by recipient school districts. NJSBA continues to after several members defied a new requirement
would be a learning loss report that identifies and
monitor this bill. that they submit either proof of having gotten a
quantifies the impact of the COVID-19 public health
COVID-19 vaccine or a negative test result to enter
emergency on student academic outcomes. This Alternate Basic Skills Testing for CTEs the State House. Instead, the Assembly acted on
report would be due by May 31, 2022. A-6000/S-4074 eliminates the requirement to just a handful of pressing matters, none of which
The second report, due Sept. 30, 2022, would pass a basic skills test to become a career and directly affect local school districts.
focus on the continuation of school services during technical educator. As an alternative, a prospective
the public health emergency. CTE can demonstrate basic skills proficiency in a Senate Voting Session
During committee deliberations on the bill, the manner to be determined by the NJDOE. NJSBA
NJSBA expressed support for its intent as it would The Senate concurred with the governor’s condi-
supports the bill.
set a framework for the assessment of student tional vetoes on the following education measures.
learning during the pandemic. The required study NJQSAC Postponement A-6001 provides They now return to the Assembly, which must also
and report would be an important step toward for postponement of New Jersey Quality Single concur, before heading back to the governor:
developing a funded strategic plan to help address Accountability Continuum review for certain school Student Journalists’ Rights S-108/A-169 con-
remediation. However, the NJSBA also recognizes districts for the 2021-2022 school year. NJSBA cerns speech rights of student journalists at public
the strain that the emergency has placed on staff supports the bill. Similar legislation was approved schools and public institutions of higher educa-
and resources. Therefore, the Association cautioned last December that applied to districts that were up tion. Specifically, the bill provides that a student
against the immediate imposition of additional for review in the 2020-2021 school year. at a public school or a public institution of higher
responsibilities on staff that would take away from AAPI Instruction A-6100/S-4021 Requires school education who gathers, compiles, writes, edits,
districts’ top priority – advancing student learn- districts to provide instruction on history and con- photographs, records, or prepares information
ing and achievement while protecting the health tributions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders for dissemination in school-sponsored media has
and safety of students and staff. Working with its as part of implementation of New Jersey Student the right to exercise freedom of speech and of the
partners at other educational organizations, the Learning Standards in social studies. press, and is responsible for determining the news,
NJSBA successfully obtained a significant delay in opinion, feature, and advertising content of the
final passage of the bill, which allowed school staff Senate Higher Education school-sponsored media.
to focus on more immediate tasks. The NJSBA worked with its partners in other
The bill must now be approved by both houses of FAFSA Pilot Program S-1229 Establishes a pilot educational associations and successfully secured
the Legislature before it can be sent to the governor. program to provide guidance to students applying conditional veto language that will permit school
The following bills affecting New Jersey school for federal financial aid. NJSBA supports the bill. district administrators to restrain student expression
districts also received committee approval: simultaneously with showing a justification for the
Assembly Judiciary Committee restraint, rather than requiring that such a showing
Assembly Education Committee School Security Drills A-5727 aims to ensure precede the restraint. This will ensure that students
students’ well-being during school security drills have the right to speak freely, while preserving the
Mentoring Teachers of Color A-4595/S-2829
by dictating certain measures that must be taken ability of administrators to maintain the safe and
would establish a three-year “Male Teachers of Color
in advance of, during, or after conducting such a orderly operation of the school district.
Mentorship Pilot Program.”
drill. NJSBA supports the bill as amended. Both the
Teacher Loan Redemption S-969/A-2687
Teacher Workforce Data S-2835/A-5292 requires Assembly and Senate version may now be posted
establishes a loan redemption program in the
compilation of data and the issuance of annual for floor votes.
Higher Education Student Assistance Authority to
reports on the New Jersey teacher workforce.
allow teachers to redeem a portion of their New
NJSBA supports the legislation. Assembly Appropriations Committee Jersey College Loans to Assist State Students loan
E v a l u a t i n g Te a c h e r P r e p P r o g r a m s Health Care and Unfunded Mandates A-6217 amounts for service as a teacher in a high-need
A-5291/S-2830 requires each educator prepara- provides that local public employee health care field in a “low-performing school.” The governor
tion program to annually report to the department plans or programs are not unfunded mandates. It conditionally vetoed the bill to include a $1 million
of education on the first-time and overall test pass also gives the Legislature’s presiding officers the appropriation to fund the program. He also recom-
rates of candidates for an instructional certificate, right to intervene as parties or appear as amicus mended revisions to permit forgiveness of 25%
for each test required for instructional certification. curiae without Council on Local Mandates approval. of the principal and interest of the loan amount in
The bill also requires the department to annually The NJSBA strongly opposes the bill. In testimony return for each consecutive year of service, for up
2Deadline to Complete
Training Looms
to a four-year period and a maximum redemption K-12 schools and childcare centers to be certified School board members only have until Dec. 31
of $20,000. mercury free. NJSBA supports the bill.
to complete their mandated training require-
Culturally Responsive Teaching A-5312/S-2834 Senate Budget and Appropriations ment for the 2021 cycle. As of Jan. 1, 2022,
would mandate that all candidates for teaching cer-
Committee members who have not fulfilled their mandated
tification complete a course on culturally responsive
teaching. As conditionally vetoed by the governor, FAFSA Graduation Requirement S-3471 training requirement for the 2021 cycle will be
the requirement goes into effect for the 2022-2023 requires students to complete a financial aid applica- out of compliance.
school year. tion as part of high school graduation requirements.
A student will be exempt from the graduation
New Jersey state law requires school
Regionalization S-3488/A-5537 modifies various requirement if the student submits to the school board members and charter school trustees to
procedures pertaining to school district regional- district either of the following:
ization. The bill also establishes a grant program
attend training in the first, second and third
• a form signed by the parent or guardian, or by the
for conducting regionalization feasibility studies in
student if he is at least 18 years of age, requesting
this voluntary program, as well as other financial
the exemption.
incentives for districts to explore regionalization,
particularly those that are losing state aid because • a form signed by the school counselor authorizing Completion of the
of declining enrollment. Importantly, the bill maintains the exemption for good cause as defined by the
voter approval over any final decision to regionalize State Board. online course satisfies
— a key NJSBA priority. The bill now heads to the full Senate for con-
Following legislative approval of the bill, the sideration. the requirements of
NJSBA requested and obtained conditional veto
language that will ensure consistency in the voting
Electric School Buses S-4077 requires the New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to
the School District
rights of all sending districts in a sending-receiving
relationship. As passed by the Legislature, the bill
develop and implement an electric school bus pro-
gram. The legislation provides for $15 million in the
Accountability Act.
would have granted limited voting rights to a district first year and $15 million annually in the subsequent
that belonged to a limited-purpose regional district, two years to the department, subject to availability,
but it opposed the formation of an all-purpose to provide grants to support the program. NJSBA
regional and subsequently entered into a sending- years of a first term, and in the first year of a
supports the bill, which can now be posted for a
receiving relationship with the newly formed district. Senate floor vote. reelected or reappointed term. NJSBA is the
The Senate also approved the following measures,
state-designated provider of mandated train-
which now head to the Assembly for further con-
Senate Labor Committee ing, which is available at no cost to members.
sideration:
Work Readiness Training Incentives A-1534/ Board members who have not yet fulfilled their
Teacher Workforce Data S-2835 requires com- S-1573 “New Jersey Works Act” permits busi-
pilation of data and the issuance of annual reports requirement may complete the training online.
nesses to create pre-employment training programs
on the New Jersey teacher workforce. in partnership with nonprofit organizations or educa- Completion of the online course satisfies the
Renaming “Security Aid” as “Health Safety tional institutions; provides tax credit to businesses requirements of the School District Account-
Aid” S-3013 renames “security aid” as “health and that provide financial assistance to pre-employment ability Act.
safety aid” to reflect that secure schools provide training programs. NJSBA supports the bill, which
now heads to the full Senate for consideration. The following training is required:
for students’ mental health and well-being. NJSBA
supports the bill. Governance I: New Board Member Orientation
Senate Health, Human Services and
AAPI Instruction S-4021 would require school Board members and charter school trustees in
Senior Citizens Committee
districts to provide instruction on history and contri- the first year of their first term.
butions of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders as Expanding Eligibility for Special Ed Services
part of the implementation of New Jersey Student S-3298 allows certain persons with developmental Governance II: Finance Board members and
Learning Standards in Social Studies. If enacted, disabilities 21 years of age and older to attend
charter school trustees in the second year of
the bill will first apply to the 2022-2023 school year. special education programs and to simultaneously
participate in adult day and employment programs. their first term.
Alternate Basic Skills Testing for CTEs S-4074
eliminates the requirement to pass a basic skills test Screening for Child Abuse S-3723 requires Governance III: Student Achievement Board
to become a career and technical educator. As an school districts to implement a training program members and charter school trustees in the
alternative, a prospective CTE can demonstrate for employees on the detection and prevention
of child abuse during a public health emergency
third year of their first term.
basic skills proficiency in a manner to be deter-
mined by the New Jersey Department of Education. that requires remote learning, social distancing, Governance IV: Legal Update Board members
NJSBA supports the bill. or other restrictions on person-to-person contact.
The bill was amended to make the training program and charter school trustees in the first year of
Committee Activity The following school-related an online module with free access for all school a reelected or reappointed term.
bills received legislative committee approval: districts. The NJSBA supported the bill once it
was amended. For more information, visit the Mandated
Assembly Consumer Affairs Training page on the NJSBA website at www.
Read more: See the Legislative Updates in the
Committee njsba.org/training/mandated-training. Ques-
online edition of School Board Notes, Number 17
Mercury Flooring A-2078 requires new flooring for and Number 18.
tions should be directed to the NJSBA Call
Center at callcenter@njsba.org.
3said. The program supports schools in meeting
The U.S. Army and NJSBA Continue to Promote Student Success the challenges of digital learning; in September,
37 schools from nine districts became the first
schools to achieve Digital Star status.
Feinsod also mentioned the numerous
research reports that the NJSBA has published
over the past year to help school districts
navigate the pandemic as well as the resources
published for both new and veteran board
members, including the latest edition of “Fun-
damentals of School Board Membership.”
The NJSBA’s strategic plan, Feinsod noted,
gives it a blueprint to continue in the right
direction for the next three years, focusing on
key areas such as promoting student growth,
providing services for tomorrow’s world, pro-
viding professional learning opportunities for
effective governance, teaming up with others
on public education advocacy and focusing on
innovations and technology.
New Jersey School Boards Association staff and representatives from the U.S. Army met at the NJSBA’s The Association did not receive any resolu-
headquarters in Trenton Dec. 14 to talk about how they can continue to serve school board members and tions prior to the official cutoff date on Sept. 16
students through the annual STEAM Tank Challenge and other initiatives. Left to right: Jennifer Siehl, man-
for the semiannual Delegate Assembly.
ager, STEAM Tank; John Henry, senior manager, STEAM and Sustainable Schools; Lt. Col. Dion Hall; Dr.
Lawrence S. Feinsod, executive director of the NJSBA; Irene LeFebvre, NJSBA president; First Lt. Andrew As a regular course of business, the Asso-
Becker; Vincent R. DeLucia, educator-in-residence at the NJSBA; Mike Halleron and Giovanna Hanson, ciation conducted a “sunset review” of its
U.S. Army Mid-Atlantic Recruiting Battalion, education services specialist.
positions and policies on education according
to standards and criteria, identifying which
policies required reaffirmation and which ones
required changes, including wording, amend-
Delegate Assembly tures that were added to this year’s Workshop, ment or deletion. Staff reviewed all policies
continued noting that participants appreciated the oppor- classified as part of the 3000 Business and
tunity to meet in smaller groups where they Noninstructional Operations and Section 4000
was held virtually. could chat with each other and NJSBA staff Instructional and Support Personnel.
Noting that he views his remarks as a report about the issues that were important to them. Staff identified those polices that required
to shareholders, he looked back at the Associa- “We received such glowing feedback that reaffirmation and those that required change.
tion’s recent accomplishments and shared the we are actually planning to institute regular The members of the Delegate Assembly
staff’s vision for continued success and growth. virtual sessions” using the Wind Down sessions received and acted upon those recommenda-
He called Virtual Workshop 2021 a as a framework, Feinsod said. tions.
“resounding success.” The NJSBA’s mission to promote profes- A motion to approve the proposed policy
“We have had extremely positive feedback sional development will continue with the change to File Code 4112.1 of the NJSBA
from board members and others in the educa- rebranding and launch of the new Online Manual of Positions and Policies on Educa-
tion community,” he said of Workshop. The University Hub, a professional development tion passed.
event drew more than 5,000 registrants, and academy for educators that is being launched
several hundred more participated when you with the New Jersey Association of School
include speakers, sponsors, exhibitors and Administrators.
guests — as well as parents who tuned in to The Online University Hub will offer Get the Full Story Online
the annual STEAM Tank Challenge, which engaging and interactive e-learning courses The print edition of School Board Notes
encourages students to apply science, technol- to all K-12 public school district stakeholders. Digest is published monthly, and it includes
ogy, engineering, arts and math in response to NJSBA’s collaboration with The College of condensed versions of articles that have
issues facing the world today. The challenge is New Jersey and the New Jersey Department of appeared in the weekly online version of
the newsletter. The current issue is available
open to K-12 public school students in New Education, which resulted in the introduction
at www.njsba.org/sbn. Follow links on that
Jersey and is sponsored by the U.S. Army. of the Sustainable Jersey Digital Schools Pro-
page to view archived editions.
Feinsod highlighted the Wind Down fea- gram, also continues to pay dividends, Feinsod
4Social Media Behavior Takes Center Stage in Two School Ethics Cases
The School Ethics Commission issued deci- statements did indeed take private action that
sions Nov. 16 in two cases involving school … it is important that compromised the board. It was determined
board members’ actions on social media. that the respondent’s statement could be seen
board members take as “violating the public trust or creating such an
CASE I impression so as to cause the impairment of the
great care when using
A complainant alleged that a school board board or to expose it to discredit or suspicion.”
member had violated various provisions of the social media. The administrative law judge recommended a
School Ethics Act in a three-count complaint. censure for the respondent.
The SEC upheld both the findings and the
Count One First, the complainant alleged that for in-person learning.”
proposed penalty. The penalty phase of the
the respondent board member continued to
Count Three Lastly, the respondent board case will now go on to the New Jersey Com-
act as an “administrator” of a social media
member was charged with serving as an admin- missioner of Education, who can adopt, reject
page after her membership on the board of
istrator of a private Facebook group in which or modify the censure.
education began and participated on a second
she posted information related to the district. This case can be found at tinyurl.
site wherein postings and comments about the
This group was not open to the public and was com/5n8yu7ye.
school district and personnel were allowed by
not used by the respondent board member in Board members must be aware that every
invited members of the group.
her official capacity. The complainant alleged SEC analysis relies solely on the evidence
The complaint alleged that during this
that this forum amounted to taking “private presented to the SEC. As such, it is important
time, the websites contained critical statements
action that may compromise the board.” The that board members take great care when using
about the district’s superintendent and busi-
board ultimately could find no facts that dem- social media. Questions on these cases should
ness administrator. The school board member
onstrated that the private site was in any way be directed to your district’s school board
responded that she acted only as an “administra-
done in her official capacity and there were attorney or the NJSBA’s Attorney of the Day
tor” of the site for the first five months of her
no facts to demonstrate that any statements at 609-278-5279.
board membership and thereafter resigned. She
on the site compromised the board. The SEC
said she had no editorial control over the page.
once again urged school officials “to exercise
The School Ethics Commission held that
caution while navigating the inter-connected
“merely serving as an administrator of the
world of social media.”
social media page, which may have included NJSDA, NJDOE Announce $75M
As such, all charges were dismissed against
complaints or posts by third parties that were for Emergent and Capital
the respondent board member and no penalty
unflattering or critical of district administrators Maintenance Needs
imposed. This case can be found at tinyurl.
does not give rise to a violation of N.J.S.A. The New Jersey Schools Development
com/yc74sykj.
18A:12-24(j).” The SEC cautioned school Authority is getting a direct appropriation
officials to be mindful of their obligations as of $75 million from New Jersey’s fiscal
CASE II
year 2022 budget to provide funding for
board members, but stated in this particular In a consolidated matter involving two com- projects related to emergent and capital
case, the facts did not show a violation. plainants, it was alleged that a former board maintenance needs, according to a joint
Count Two In the same case, it was also alleged member violated the School Ethics Act when memo from the New Jersey Department
that the respondent board member attended he made multiple anti-Muslim statements on of Education and New Jersey Schools
Development Authority.
multiple committee meetings of the Buildings, his personal Facebook page.
The funding is available to Schools
Grounds and Transportation Committee and The respondent did not dispute the fact that Development Authority districts and regular
publicly commented on her disagreement he made the statements as alleged. However, operating districts to address emergent
with the district’s proposed cleaning protocols he stated that they were intended to be only projects as well as capital maintenance
and use of certain disinfectants during the viewed by people on his private site. Lastly, the projects, especially for facilities costs to
address COVID-19 concerns.
COVID-19 pandemic. The SEC found that respondent did have a disclaimer on his page
The funding is available to offset district
the respondent did not make any decision or that stated that the opinions expressed were his
costs associated with ensuring students
take any action contrary to the educational and not that of his board of education. have safe and healthy learning environ-
welfare of the students by “merely questioning The matter went to a full hearing before ments. Districts can use these funds to
purported experts at a public meeting about the the Office of Administrative Law. The admin- offset appropriate project costs incurred
district’s protocols, including the use of certain istrative law judge held that even though the this fiscal year.
Questions regarding this process should
disinfectants, used or to be used during the respondent was no longer a board member
be directed to NJSDA at FY22Grant@
pandemic to ensure the safety and security of as he had not sought reelection, that he had njsda.gov.
students and staff as school buildings reopened violated N.J.S.A. 18A:12-24.1(e) insofar his
5intendents approached her about the need. ings, but the focus will be on horticulture and
Mercer district superintendents explored culinary arts. MCTS has hired a bilingual
the idea further at roundtable meetings supervisor and bilingual teacher to support
and leaned on Hernández for support, who the program. There was a ribbon-cutting
spearheaded the creation of the Newark ceremony Sept. 28.
International Newcomer Student Center Fazzone thinks a vocational education is
Two Expert Communicators Share
when she was an education administrator at a great option for all students. In addition to
Tips on ‘Education Matters’ Two com-
munications professionals recently shared Newark Public Schools. In April 2010, the
best practices on how New Jersey school Newark center was designated as a Bilin-
districts can communicate better with the gual/ESL N.J. Model Program Resource
community on “Education Matters,” the Center of Excellence for the 2010-2012 Many of the kids
popular video series hosted by Ray Pinney, award period for New Jersey.
director of county activities and member within a year of
“I kept hearing about a center for
engagement with the New Jersey School
Boards Association.
English language learners and thought it graduating can get high
sounded like a good idea – and I wasn’t
Lori Perlow, public information officer
for the Haddon Township School District sure why we hadn’t done it,” Fazzone said. six-figure jobs without
“Hernández’s initiative, her thought process
Consortium and president of the New
and her bringing to us the need has been
ever having had to take
Jersey School Public Relations Association;
and Paul Zeller, director of technology and invaluable. She is very enthusiastic and sup- out a college loan.
communication, Pascack Valley Regional portive of everything we have done so far.”
High School District, and president-elect Fazzone, who served as principal of Dr. James Fazzone
of the New Jersey School Public Relations
MCTS for two years before taking the
Association, shared an array of insights to
interim superintendent role for the dis-
help school districts bolster communica-
tion skills. trict, was happy to help make the concept
the Newcomer Academy, the Mercer County
a reality.
Visit tinyurl.com/2p8e4t5m to watch the inter- Technical School District includes the Acad-
view. “I don’t like talking about things too long
emy of Culinary Arts, the Health Sciences
and not acting on them,” he said. “There
Academy, a STEM Academy, numerous
Education Matters’ Highlights Late were some grandiose thoughts: rehabbing
Start Times Dr. Christine Burton, super- Shared-Time Programs and an adult evening
a building and restoring it, but that takes a
intendent of Millburn Township Public school. The campuses include the Arthur R.
lot of work. I had experience as a mayor (of
Schools, was also interviewed by Pinney Sypek Center of Pennington, the Assunpink
Burlington City) and as a board president –
and featured on the popular video series. Center in Hamilton and the Career Prep
and I know it takes a long time to get a big
She highlights how her district studied Program located on the grounds of Mercer
moving back the start time for the school building ready.”
County Community College.
day, answering questions such as: So, he advocated for starting the pro-
“Many of the kids within a year of graduat-
• Why did the district move in this direc- gram at MCTS’s Arthur R. Sypek Center,
ing can get high six-figure jobs without ever
tion? which could accept students from various
having had to take out a college loan,” Faz-
• What challenges has the district faced? districts. The freshman class began with 15
zone said. “After learning to be a mechanic,
students, and the intent is to add 15 more
• Why should school districts consider you can go anywhere in the country and get a
adjusting their schedule? next year and in subsequent years. When the
job tomorrow. You can come here and learn a
freshmen of the inaugural class are seniors,
Visit tinyurl.com/2p8jrum7 to watch the inter- trade. We earn our money the old-fashioned
if all goes as planned, there will be 60 stu-
view. way: We work for it.”
dents enrolled at the academy. Students
could potentially stay a fifth year – and Download an NJSBA Special Report “Educa-
Fazzone did not rule out the possibility of tional Opportunities for the Non-College-
expanding the program if needed. Bound Learner” is a special report published
“I would like to keep the Newcomer by the New Jersey School Boards Association.
Newcomer Academy Academy right where it is for now, but we It highlights dozens of recommendations from
continued
are going to have another facility by Not- an NJSBA task force and reveals strategies to
Yasmin E. Hernández, the interim executive tingham High School (in Hamilton), and we ensure schools meet the needs of the career-
county superintendent for Mercer County, can possibly move some of our other current focused student. The full report can be found
which has 11 public school districts. Hernán- programs there,” he noted. at www.njsba.org/news-information/research/
dez was instrumental in advocating for the The Newcomer Academy students will projects/final-report-educational-opportuni-
need of such an academy after district super- get a sampling of MCTS’s traditional offer- ties-for-the-non-college-bound-learner/.
6A Key NJSBA Staffer Highlights the Benefits Webinar to Focus on Transitioning
of the New Online University Hub to Electric Vehicles
Sustainable Jersey will
With next year around the corner, it’s time to Why did the NJSBA and NJASA team up on this h o l d a f re e w e b i n a r,
think about setting your team up for future initiative? Whether you are an administrator Wednesday, Jan. 26, from
success. A big part of that will mean leverag- or a school board member, you need to con- 1 to 2:30 p.m., on “Fund-
ing the resources the NJSBA offers, including tinually focus on professional development. ing for Transitioning Fleets to EVs.”
its new Online University Hub, a professional At the end of the day that’s what helps both The webinar will highlight funding
development academy. groups work together to optimize student options available to help municipalities
and school districts add electric vehicles
The New Jersey School Boards Association learning. Teaming up on the Online University
to their fleets. The webinar supports the
launched the hub with the New Jersey Asso- Hub was a natural fit as it gives both associa-
Sustainable Jersey for Schools Sustainable
ciation of School Administrators. It offers tions the opportunity to promote this vital new Fleets action.
engaging and interactive e-learning courses platform to districts. Visit www.njlearninghub. Visit tinyurl.com/2p9e9ajd to register.
to all K-12 public school district stakeholders. org to learn more.
The hub provides school districts with
targeted professional learning options for
school leaders, staff and educators. From
social-emotional learning, to accelerated
learning, diversity and equity and much more,
NJSBA’s New Labor Initiatives to Help Schools
the curriculum encompasses some of the most The New Jersey School Boards Association school year, negotiation procedures and tuition
important and timely topics in education. is proud to announce its new Labor Contract reimbursement/professional development.
School Board Notes Wellness Check and Salary Guide Wellness Additional clause analysis requests will be
recently caught up Check programs. $150/clause.
with Lou Schimenti, NJSBA has reimagined the way we provide Some additional benefits of this program
s e n i o r m a n a g e r, our members with valuable labor contract and include: one virtual staff member conference
products and services salary guide analyses by offering a product with district staff/board negotiations commit-
at NJSBA, to learn more directly tailored to issues important to tee, more expedient service, a legal update of
more about the hub your district. All school districts are different hot topics in negotiations that will be updated
Lou Schimenti and why the educa- and have different hot-button topics when quarterly and credits toward board certification
tion community is so excited about all it has going into negotiations. As such, the one- in NJSBA’s Board Member Academy.
to offer. size-fits-all contract or salary guide analyses
How is the Online University Hub differ- of yesterday will be customized to the issues Salary Guide Wellness Check The Salary Guide
ent than the NJSBA Online University? The you tell us are important. Wellness Check will analyze a union’s teachers’
NJSBA Online University for school board salary guide proposal. The SGWC will include
members, created in partnership with Rutgers Contract Wellness Check Contract Wellness a structural analysis of the base year, a cost
University Division of Continuing Studies, Check will analyze teacher contracts and con- analysis, legal update of hot topics in negotia-
offers on-demand and flexible online profes- sist of the following two mandatory contract tions and the most recent county settlement
sional learning opportunities for school board clauses analyses: expiring salary guide analysis data from NJSBA’s data services. Additional
members. and health care. unit salary guide analysis requests will be $150/
The Online University Hub expands on The submitting district will then be able to hour. Some example units can include secretar-
this idea and offers training and professional specify up to three additional clauses for the ies, custodians, paraprofessionals, etc.
development courses for educators and other NJSBA to analyze. Examples include: Contract Also included in this service is one virtual
district stakeholders. duration, grievance procedures, workday/ staff member conference with district staff/
board negotiations committee, more expedi-
ent service, credits toward board certification
in NJSBA’s Board Member Academy as labor
credits — and the district will automatically
NJEA Reiterates 2022 Convention Dates receive county settlement data information,
with no need for a formal request.
As school districts throughout New Jersey make plans for the 2022-2023 school year, the New
Jersey Education Association reminds everyone that its 2022 convention will be Nov. 10-11. If your district is interested in either of
Full convention details will be posted in coming months at NJEA.org. these programs, please contract Gina Cuciti
at gcuciti@njsba.org.
7NEW JERSEY SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION Non-Profit
Organization
Headquarters: 413 West State Street, Trenton, New Jersey 08618 U.S. POSTAGE
Telephone: 1-888-88NJSBA • Website: www.njsba.org PAID
Trenton, NJ
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED Permit No. 1068
Irene LeFebvre, president
Lawrence S. Feinsod, Ed.D., executive director
SCHOOL BOARD NOTES School Board Notes is published as a supplement to School Leader, the official quarterly
Janet Bamford, chief public affairs officer journal of the New Jersey School Boards Association. It is mailed to board members,
Thomas Parmalee, managing editor superintendents and school business administrators of affiliated school boards as
Stacy Moorhead, graphic design specialist part of membership dues. Non-members may purchase annual subscriptions at the
Adriana DiGiacomantonio, manager, graphic design following prices: School Board Notes – $55; and School Leader – $50.
School Board Notes is printed on recycled paper using vegetable ink.
December 20, 2021 Volumes XLV Number 15/16/17/18
B R I E F LY N O T E D Get Involved: Volunteer to Help NJSBA
NJSBA President Irene LeFebvre reminds members, and some may have special require-
NJSBA 2022-2024 Strategic Plan board members that the NJSBA has oppor- ments for membership.
tunities for volunteer service on standing NJSBA strives to appoint members who
Approved
committees and task forces, as well as on are interested, well-qualified and free from
On Nov. 19, NJSBA’s Board of Directors
occasional ad hoc committees that are formed bias or conflict of interest, and everyone with
approved “Framework for the Future,”
for a limited term to consider a specific issue a desire to serve is urged to apply.
NJSBA’s Strategic Plan for 2022-2024.
or project. Board members can also volunteer Additional standards of selection may
The plan was developed with input from
to serve as a small group leader for training include an applicant’s expertise and experience
NJSBA member and staff surveys, as well
as involvement in Strategic Planning Forums programs such as new board member orienta- in the committee subject matter, fresh per-
held in October. tion or leadership programs. spective, communications skills, knowledge
“The NJSBA Strategic Plan represents All are welcome “We encourage board mem- of the diverse community, availability, ethical
both continuity and growth for the bers to get involved in the statewide Associa- standards and other relevant factors.
Association,” said Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, tion and we welcome the experience, expertise To ensure an open process to fill committee
NJSBA executive director. “I want to thank and viewpoints of those from all types of slots or other volunteer commitments, NJSBA
the officers and the board members who has posted a member volunteer application
districts — large and small; urban, suburban
participated in the planning forums and
and rural — and from throughout the state,” that asks for contact and basic information.
provided insights through our survey. Your
said LeFebvre. Visit www.njsba.org/about/membership/njsba-
contributions to the process were critical.”
Committee vacancies occur sporadically member-volunteer-application/ to complete
V i s i t www.njsba.org/wp-content/
uploads/2021/11/strategic-plan-online.pdf and the terms of the appointments can vary the Volunteer Form.
to read the full text of the plan. from a few months to three years. Most For questions, contact Janet Bamford, at
standing committees have a fixed number of jbamford@njsba.org.
8You can also read
