Delegates Address Aid for School Choice
Although the state has promoted school choice, New Jersey’s school funding system could penalize districts that initiate choice programs, according to a resolution adopted by the NJSBA Delegate Assembly. Approximately 150 delegates from 20 counties attended the meeting Saturday in Jamesburg. Get the full story.
Phot of Glenn Ewan Glenn B. Ewan to Lead NJSBA

Glenn B. Ewan, a nine-year veteran of the Maurice River Township Board of Education, was elected president of the New Jersey School Boards Association during the Association’s

Delegate Assembly in Jamesburg last Saturday. Ewan will lead NJSBA for the next two years. He had served as a vice president of the Association since 1998. Get the full story.
School Employees Not Included in Early Retirement Plan Passed in the Assembly
early retirement
The Assembly released its version of the early retirement incentive package for state workers without including school employees, county and municipal workers in the program. “The state teacher shortage is one of the reasons that we cannot include school employees at this time, although we would like to do so,” said Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein, a sponsor of the bill. Assemblyman Tom Kean, Jr. had offered an amendment on the floor to include an accountability provision, but it was defeated. The Assembly version of the bill (A1394/1779/2511Acs), which passed by a vote of fifty-eight in favor, fourteen opposed and three abstentions, is identical to the Senate version (S451/1357Scs), which is still awaiting senate action. Get the full story.
Assembly Committee Delivers Still Another Blow to Districts
After being compelled to drastically cut programs and positions, create budgets raising property taxes or both as a result of Governor James McGreevey’s decision to freeze school aid, school districts on May 13 suffered still another blow—this time at the hands of the Assembly Labor Committee. The committee voted four to one to release A-1714, which would drastically restrict the ability of public schools and institutions of higher education to subcontract various services such as student transportation, janitorial and food preparation. Get the full story.
Educators Recognized for Work in Aftermath of September 11
The events of September 11 changed our lives forever. Now, each of us faces a challenge—how to communicate these tragic events to children and help them address the aftermath and recovery in the coming months and years. Get the full story.
School Libraries Receive Security Systems
Absegami High School in Galloway Township and Carteret High School in Carteret were among 112 middle and high schools in the nation to receive security technology for their school library media centers recently from the 3M Salute to Schools program. The program provides up to two 3M Detection Systems and a supply of 3M Tattle-Tape Security Strips to school library media centers with limited resources to reduce the loss of valuable library materials.
    In effect since 1999, the 3M Salute to Schools program is sponsored by the 3M Company, in partnership with the American Association of School Librarians, a division of the American Library Association. For more information about the program, contact the AASL Awards Program at 1-800-545-2433, ext. 4383, aasl@ala.org, or www.3M.com/library.
Board of Directors Highlights
A regular meeting of NJSBA’s Board of Directors took place on Friday, May 17, 2002 in Jamesburg. Get the full story.
Attention Policymakers
The Policy and Library Resources Department is pleased to announce a new and improved Web page for the Critical Policy Reference Manual. This electronic version of the Critical Policy Reference Manual offers some valuable enhancements. It provides a powerful search capability; it provides links to many statutes, administrative code and case law that appear on the Legal Reference page; and it also provides links to cross-references. Click here to access the Critical Policy Reference Manual.
    In order to view the policies, you will need to set your browser to accept “cookies” (information stored in a text file). Get the full story.
Special Education Week in New Jersey 2002
More than 150 special education students, teachers and parents gathered for a ceremony and reception at the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton on ay 13 to usher in Special Education Week 2002. See the pictures.
academy logo
Sixteen school board members who earned their Master Board Member designation were honored at an NJSBA Board of Directors meeting in Jamesburg last Friday. The proud recipients of the designation have earned a Certificated Board Member designation, plus twenty additional credits in NJSBA's Board Member Academy program, and have completed a written examination. Click here to learn more about NJSBA's Board Member Academy. See the photo.
calendar
MAY 17
Memorial Day
NJSBA Closed
MAY 29
Spring Dinner Meeting (Cumberland),
Centerton Country Club,
Centerton, 6:00 p.m.
Spring Dinner Meeting (Essex), Appian Way, Orange, 6:00 p.m.
Spring Dinner Meetng (Union), Pantagis,
Scotch Plains, 6:30 p.m.
MAY 30
Spring Dinner Meeting (Bergen), The Landmark, East Rutherford, 6:00 p.m.
Spring Recognition Dinner Meeting (Camden),
Venice Plaza,
Berlin, 6:00 p.m.
Spring Dinner Meeting (Monmouth), Water's Edge, Sea Bright, 6:00 p.m.
MAY 31
Sring Dinner Meeting (Hudson), LaReggia, Secaucus, 6:30 p.m.
JUNE 3
Spring Dinner Meeting (Mercer), Merlino's Waterfront, Ewing, 6:30 p.m.
For more information, visit county school boards association activities.
What’s on Your Mind?

NJSBA’s School Leader magazine regularly features a “Letters” column where readers can share their opinions, comments or ideas on educational matters. If you are interested in submitting a letter to the editor, send it to: NJSBA, School Leader Magazine, 413 West State Street, P.O. Box 909, Trenton, New Jersey 08605-0909; or e-mail it to jkane@njsba.org.