McGreevey Launches Pilot Program to Reform Assessment
Governor James E. McGreevey and Commissioner of Education William Librera last week announced a project to pilot a new method of assessing student progress toward New Jersey’s academic standards. Get the full story.
Governor James E. McGreevey speaks during a conference last week in Piscataway on a performance assessment pilot project for New Jersey students. The conference was cosponsored by the Coalition for Responsible Educational Assessment, Testing and Evaluation and the Business Coalition for Educational Excellence.
NJSBA Backs Voting Rights Solution for Boards in ‘Sending-Receiving’ Relationships
Delegates to the New Jersey School Boards Association last Saturday backed a new compromise policy on a voting-rights issue that has long divided many of the 216 New Jersey school districts involved in “sending-receiving” relationships. Get the full story.
Wendy Dougherty, board member from Upper Township and chairperson of the NJSBA Ad Hoc Sending/Receiving Committee, presents her committee’s report to the Delegate Assembly last Saturday in East Windsor.
School Breakfast Bills Move Ahead
Bills that would mandate participation in the school breakfast program for certain schools were unanimously released from the Assembly Appropriations Committee last week.
    The legislation, A-2293/A-2709 and S-1493, would establish a three-year implementation program for all schools with 20 to 40 percent or more of students who are eligible for federally subsidized meals under the national school lunch or school breakfast program. Get the full story.
NJSBA Board of Directors Highlights
A regular meeting of NJSBA’s Board of Directors took place on November 15 in East Windsor. Click here for a brief review of the highlights.
Board Certification Achievements
Six school boards recently achieved the prestigious Board Certification designation through the NJSBA Board Member Academy program. To receive this designation, a board must earn 18 Academy credits within a three-year period, participate in a retreat of at least one full day or longer, and conduct a board self-evaluation. Get the full story and view pictures.
Election Day Conflicts The Senate last week passed S-861, which would give the commissioner of education the ability to resolve conflicts when the date of a school budget election coincides with a day of religious observance. Senators Bernard Kenny and Joseph Kyrillos sponsored the measure. Get the full update on this and other issues.
special dates icon
Each month NJSBA provides a listing of significant education-related dates, along with contact information, to assist local districts in actively promoting these events in their schools and communities. We encourage school boards to share with NJSBA any activities that are specifically planned in honor of these special dates. Please contact Josephine Kane at 609-278-5242 or jkane@njsba.org.

December 2002
10 Human Rights Day —The United Nations has designated this day to commemorate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. Click here for more information about this and other UN-sponsored activities for students.

15 Bill of Rights Day —On this day in 1791, the first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution were adopted. This event is often marked by a presidential proclamation.
NOVEMBER 28-29
Thanksgiving Holiday, NJSBA Closed
DECEMBER 2
Negotiations Trends Mtg. (Ocean), Horbelt School, Barnegat, 6:30 p.m.
School Finance and You (Sussex),Sussex County Technical High School, Sparta, 7 p.m.
DECEMBER 3
Delegate’s Meeting (Cape May), County Superintendent’s Office, Cape May Court House, 7 p.m.
DECEMBER 4
Fall Workshop Dinner Meeting (Atlantic), Egg Harbor Twp. Middle School, Egg Harbor Township, 6:30 p.m.
Fall Legislative Dinner Mtg. (Union), The Westwood, Garwood, 6:15 p.m.
DECEMBER 5
Fall Workshop Dinner Meeting (Camden), Parkview Elementary School, Stratford, 6:30 p.m.
Negotiations Roundtable Mtg. (Hunterdon), North Hunterdon District Training Office, North Hunterdon, 7 p.m.
Current Trends in Negotiations Mtg. (Monmouth), High Tech High School, Brookdale Campus, 6:30 p.m.
DECEMBER 6
Indicates an NJSBA Meeting NJSBA Urban Boards Committee Mtg., Trenton Board of Education, Trenton, 6:30 p.m.
DECEMBER 7
Indicates an NJSBA Meeting NJSBA Planning & Implementing School Construction Projects, Holiday Inn, Jamesburg, 9 a.m.
For more information, visit county school boards association activities.
Let Us Spotlight Your Successes
The New Jersey School Boards Association is searching for creative school programs for its 18th annual School Leader Award competition. Get the details.
Training Programs
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Featured in This Week's Edition
Workshop on Tape

NJSBA Planning and Implementing School Construction Projects