A bill containing NJSBA-sought amendments to the state’s new monitoring system—the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum—is awaiting the governor’s signature. S-2136 (Rice)/A-3676 (Stanley) gained final legislative approval in December.

NJSBA and other education groups successfully lobbied lawmakers for changes in the Senate bill. The amendments eliminated a previous proposal that would have given highly skilled professionals sole authority to hire and fire employees in a district.

Under QSAC, highly skilled professionals, appointed by the commissioner, would be charged with assisting a school district in improving its effectiveness, or with providing oversight in a school district in five areas including instruction and programs, personnel, fiscal management, operations, and governance. The highly skilled professionals could be sent to work in any public school district under state intervention—including partial invention.

Concerted Effort The changes followed a Nov. 30 joint statement by NJSBA, the New Jersey Education Association and the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, which cited serious concerns with QSAC.

Amendments Agreement was reached with the sponsors of both bills to clarify the powers of the proposed highly skilled professionals.

The highly skilled professionals will now work “collaboratively with the district in the areas in which it has failed to satisfy the quality performance indicators,” as initially intended.