NJSBA Comments on Appointment of Bret Schundler as Commissioner of Education

Lame Duck Post-Mortem: NJSBA Holds off Costly Bills; Challenges Ahead

Legislative Update: Last Bills of the Session Passed, Signed

PR Forum Prepares Districts for Bond and Budget Elections

NJSBA Building Renovation Progresses; Trenton Mayor Commends Commitment to the Capital City

Nominating Committee Lists Applicants for NJSBA Office

NJSBA Audit Committee Meeting

NJSBA Board of Directors Meeting

2010’s NJSBA Training Outlook

2010 School Board Candidate Kit is Online

Monmouth County SBA Hears Community Relations Discussion

NJ Education By the Numbers

Calendar

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NJSBA Comments on Appointment of Bret Schundler as Commissioner of Education

The New Jersey School Boards Association looks forward to working with Bret Schundler in his role as state commissioner of education, the organization’s executive director said today.

Governor-Elect Chris Christie announced Schundler’s appointment at a news conference in the State House this afternoon.

“As a gubernatorial candidate and as mayor of Jersey City, Bret Schundler has participated in NJSBA conferences, sharing his beliefs with local school board members.  “His interest in children’s education is sincere, and his desire to break the mold strong,” said Marie S. Bilik, NJSBA executive director.

“We look forward to working with a commissioner who will be committed to improving the regular public schools and taking on some of the ‘sacred cows’ that have stood in the way of school improvement.”

NJSBA believes that the Christie administration should advance concepts, such as merit pay, the elimination of lifetime tenure (essentially, a job protection), and the further strengthening of academic standards, according to Bilik.  The new administration should also strengthen local school boards’ position in contract negotiations by changing state laws that favor unions in negotiations.  In addition, the Association believes that the administration should focus efforts on promoting shared services.

A 2007 Rutgers-Newark study, commissioned by the New Jersey School Boards Association, documented numerous examples of shared services, ranging from joint banking to shared business office functions. That same study identified legal obstacles to sharing services. School districts share services when they identify two outcomes: cost-savings and improved delivery. The new administration should give priority to the concept.

Bret Schundler and Gov.-Elect Chris Christie at Jan. 13 news conference announcing Schundler’s nomination to be New Jersey’s education commissioner

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