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P.O. Box 909 ● Trenton, NJ 08605-0909 ● Phone: 609.695.7600 ● Fax: 609.695.0413 ● Web: www.njsba.org/PI |
NEWS RELEASE CONTACT: Frank Belluscio (fbelluscio@njsba.org) FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Governor to Proclaim January 2007 'School Board Recognition Month' TRENTON, December 27, 2006 - Governor Jon S. Corzine will proclaim January 2007 as School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey. "New Jersey's 4,800 local board of education members devote countless hours, at no pay, to the oversight of school district operations," Corzine will state in the proclamation, dated Jan. 1. "As the policymaking bodies for local school districts, New Jersey's local boards of education endeavor to meet the challenges facing public schools and help students achieve state academic standards." "The work of New Jersey's local boards of education has a direct impact on public school students and what they learn in the classroom," explained Kevin E. Ciak, New Jersey School Boards Association president. "School boards serve as their communities' voices in setting educational goals. They make important decisions concerning the curriculum, staffing and financing of public schools." NJSBA initiated the state's first School Board Recognition Month in 2002 as a way to honor local school board members who oversee the education of the state's 1.4 million public school students. "School board members serve without pay; yet, they dedicate extraordinary amounts of time to their communities," added Ciak, a member of the Sayreville Board of Education in Middlesex County since 1994. "Many board members devote additional effort to advocating the interests of schoolchildren before the state Legislature and Congress. Many add to their busy schedules by attending training programs to enhance their leadership skills." Two days after the governor's Jan. 1 proclamation, the state Board of Education is scheduled to act on a separate resolution honoring New Jersey's local school board members. On the national level, School Board Recognition Month began in the early 1990s with a proclamation by former President Clinton. A number of other states also dedicate a month to recognize the service of their communities' school boards. For instance, President George W. Bush proclaimed School Board Recognition Month when he served as governor of Texas. School Board Recognition Month comes at a time of year when New Jersey citizens interested in public education consider candidacy for their local boards of education. This year, February 26 will be the deadline to file nominating petitions for candidacy in the 2007 Annual School Election. The election will take place on April 17, when more than 1,500 school board seats will be on the ballot throughout the state. Information about school board candidacy and School Board Recognition Month is available on the New Jersey School Boards Association's Web site, www.njsba.org.
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