New Schedule for Workshop ’08

State OKs Overnight Lodging…
New Schedule for Workshop ’08

This year, Workshop has a new schedule—with programs running from Tuesday through Thursday.

Workshop 2008 will be held from Tuesday, Oct. 28 through Thursday, Oct. 30. The new Tuesday-through-Thursday format will allow registrants to take advantage of three full days of training. (Past Workshops provided 2 1/2 days of programming, and ran from Wednesday to Friday.)

NJSBA/NJASA/NJASBO based the change on several factors, including –

Lodging Approved: The New Jersey Department of Education has confirmed that school district attendees will be eligible for reimbursement for up to two nights’ stay (Tuesday and Wednesday only) to attend Workshop 2008. In consideration of these parameters, the Workshop schedule was changed to provide members the widest opportunity for training.
Flexibility: Under the new format, Tuesday, Oct. 28 will include a wide range of training sessions and clinics, as well Certified Board Leader classes—and training required by the School Ethics Act and the School District Accountability Act. Wednesday and Thursday, Oct. 29 and 30, will be devoted to traditional Workshop programming, including General Session presentations, the Critical Issue Session, the Legislative Update, large Group Sessions and the hands-on Action Labs, the Curriculum Fair and Question-and-Answer Roundtables, as well as to the annual exhibition of school products and services.

The change will also allow board members and administrators to return to their home districts to participate in their children’s Halloween festivities for Friday, Oct. 31.

Workshop, the major conference for New Jersey’s local school board members and school administrators, will offer approximately 160 training and learning opportunities. NJSBA is extending the deadline to May 9 for school officials and educators to submit a proposal to present an Action Lab or Curriculum Fair Roundtable at Workshop. NJSBA has posted online the forms for the Action Lab proposals and Curriculum Fair Roundtable proposals.

Housing Form The Workshop 2008 Housing and Registration Form appears in this edition of School Board Notes. In addition, the form will be posted on NJSBA's Web site. Workshop participants must use the form to secure hotel reservations.

As in previous years, AC Central Reservations Inc., will process all housing requests. The Housing Form should be completed by school business administrators and mailed to AC Central Reservations, Workshop 2008, 201 Tilton Road, London Square Mall, Suite 17B, Northfield, NJ 08225; or the form may be faxed to (609) 383-8801.

For inquiries regarding room reservations, school business administrators should call AC Central Reservations at (866) 400-3999, any day between 8 a.m. and midnight, or by e-mail.

For additional housing information, contact Fran Pullo, NJSBA’s director of Financial and Operational Services, by e-mail or by calling (888) 886-5722, ext. 5204.