Summary: Semi-Annual Delegate Assembly

The NJSBA semi-annual Delegate Assembly met at the National Conference Center/Holiday Inn, East Windsor, N.J. on Nov. 18, 2006 to consider two resolutions; sunset review of the NJSBA Positions and Policies On Education Manual, Section 3000 (Business and Non-instructional Operations), Section 4000 (Personnel); and the sunset review of NJSBA Bylaws.

Proposed Bylaws Amendments
The proposed Bylaws amendments, submitted as part of the three-year systemic review process were approved as submitted with the following exceptions.

The proposed amendments to restructure standing committees, to reduce the number of delegate assemblies to one per year and to establish a one-year board member service requirement for delegates to the delegate assembly were defeated.

Resolutions
Resolution No. 1 - from Berkeley Township, Ocean County, proposed new policy language for adoption by the Delegate Assembly and inclusion in the NJSBA’s Manual of Positions and Policies on Education. The resolution requested that the NJSBA adopt a belief that the Legislature should establish criteria to evaluate progress toward financial and educational benchmarks for state aid for all districts, and specifically any Abbott district not meeting benchmarks should not receive increases in funding until progress toward those benchmarks is demonstrated. APPROVED the following recommendation:

Resolution No. 2 – from Pennsville Board of Education, Salem County, proposed policy language that would reflect a belief by NJSBA that there are presently sufficient opportunities for board of education members to pursue training and education in the duties and responsibilities of their office, on a voluntary basis, that a compulsory program of continuing training and education could discourage potential board candidates from running for office, and that establishing and maintaining such a program would represent a substantial financial burden for the taxpayers of New Jersey. This resolution proposed that NJSBA oppose legislation that would require the Commissioner of Education to develop and maintain a program for the continuing training and education of board of education members, and to impose penalties on board members who fail to complete the continuing education requirement. APPROVED with the following substitute policy language:

The delegates also approved the sunset review of all policies classified as Section 3000 (Business and Non-instructional Operations) excluding File Code 3220 which was removed for comprehensive review by a committee with recommendations to be presented to the Board of Directors for adoption with final approval at the next meeting of the Delegate Assembly and File Code 4000 (Personnel) of the NJSBA’s Manual of Positions and Policies on Education. The adopted sunset policies can be viewed by visiting www.njsba.org, under Delegate Assembly-Sunset Policies.

NJSBA Needs You

Do you want to help shape NJSBA’s legislative agenda and advocacy action plan? 

If so, there are several openings left on NJSBA’s Legislative Committee for board members who want to volunteer their time to communicate with state and federal lawmakers about critical issues to New Jersey’s school districts. 

The committee meets approximately six times a year to review and to adopt

positions on state legislative proposals affecting boards of education. The

committee also is responsible for promoting grassroots advocacy networks on local, county and state levels. 

Committee members are an important part of these networks and are often called upon to testify at hearings before the Legislature and the New Jersey Board of Education. 

NJSBA needs your support more than ever as it tackles tough issues like school regionalization, property tax reform, administrative cost caps, and unfunded mandates.

Openings are available in the following areas: 

Members are needed in District 10- parts of Monmouth and Ocean counties.

Alternate members are needed in  District 4  - parts of Camden County, District 9 – parts of Atlantic and Ocean counties, District 10 – parts of Ocean and Monmouth counties, District 15 – Mercer County, District 22 – Middlesex, Somerset and Union counties, District 27 – Essex County, District 31 – Hudson County, District 34 – Essex and Passaic counties. District 38 – parts of Bergen county.