Nearly 1,000 school board members from across the United States gathered in Washington, D.C., Jan. 28-30 for the National School Boards Association’s Federal Relations Network (FRN) Conference. NJSBA brought 35 board members and advocates to the annual Day on the Hill to meet with New Jersey’s Senators and Representatives.

The year’s FRN theme was A Pledge to America’s Schoolchildren. Developed by the National School Boards Association, the pledge addresses reform of No Child Left Behind and increased federal education funding for special education and other programs.

New Jersey is the first state to have both of its U.S. Senators sign the pledge and also has the signatures of eight of its 13 members of the House of Representatives. On Jan. 30, four New Jersey Congressmen added their signatures to the pledge: Representatives Rob Andrews (D-1), Mike Ferguson (R-7), Steve Rothman (D-9), and Albio Sires (D-13). Prior to the conference, NJSBA members helped secure the signatures of Representatives Frank LoBiondo (R-2), Frank Pallone (D-6), Donald Payne (D-10) and Rush Holt (D-12), along with both Senators Frank Lautenberg and Bob Menendez.

NCLB and More New Jersey school board members met with their congressmen to urge their support for a grant program that would enable all districts to expand preschool programs. They also advocated proposed amendments to the No Child Left Behind act, including adequate funding and the need for more flexibility in its Highly Qualified Teacher requirement to enable districts to attract and retain English as a Second Language and special education staff.