School Leader - New Jersey School Boards Association

Spring 2024 Vol. 55 No. 4

Demystifying School Rankings and Ratings

What happens when school communities, school administrators and the measurement publications each have different criteria for excellence? This is the question that we puzzled over when we worked as district leaders in Madison Public Schools.

School Security: Tips on Promoting Safety

The No. 1 task of any school district – even more important than promoting educational achievement – is to keep students and staff safe.

A Long-Term Solution to Recruit and Empower a Diverse Pool of Educators

The district’s creative, long-term solution was to develop a Teaching Academy for Social Justice to train and recruit a diverse pool of future teachers by looking inward at Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School’s own freshman class.

School Counselors Play a Larger Role than the Guidance Counselors of the Past

While most school social workers and school psychologists only work with students under the auspices of the child study team, school counselors serve all students.

NJSBA Adopts Advocacy Agenda for the New Legislative Session

Per Association bylaws, the NJSBA Legislative Committee is charged with developing a legislative agenda and advocacy action plan for each legislative session.

President's Message: The Power of Women

While subtle jabs or out-of-bounds comments never thwarted my career, they did not make it easy. In many ways, these things only strengthened my resolve and pushed me to fight harder, and with more grit.

Executive Word: A Culture of Continuous Improvement

By prioritizing the improvement of our organizational systems, we aim to better serve New Jersey’s local boards of education and ensure that NJSBA remains a reliable and invaluable resource for all members.

ELFNJ Spotlight: NJSBA’s New Board Member Weekend Orientation

NJSBA’s popular New Board Member Weekend Orientation returned this winter. Two weekends were held Jan. 19-21 and Feb 23-25, and provided training to nearly 200 new board members.

Field Perspective: Questions from the Field

Whether you are a new board member or have been sitting at the board table for many years, there are always questions that come up as part of the job.

Policy Update — Preventing School Violence: The Behavioral Threat Assessment Team Model

The law requires, among other things, New Jersey boards of education and charter school boards of trustees to develop and adopt a policy for the establishment of multidisciplinary “threat assessment teams.”

Legally Speaking: Navigating Nonrenewals and Reductions in Force

This article highlights important information regarding nonrenewals and RIFs, but it is not intended to serve as a substitute for formal legal advice from board counsel.

Head of the Class: Making an IMPACT in Clifton

Clifton High School was honored as a recognized program in the 2023 School Leader Awards for its innovative IMPACT Program. The awards honor creative and effective programs in New Jersey schools.