By Janet Bamford

After Harry J. Delgado's name was entered into nomination as NJSBA president at the May 17 Delegate Assembly, and the nomination had been seconded, a vote was about to be taken when one school board member asked permission to speak.

Richard Snyder, of the Ramsey Board of Education, leaned into the microphone to deliver his opinion of the nominee. “I’m just wild about Harry,” said Snyder, to the laughter and applause of the assembled board members.

It seems that sentiment is widespread.

Since he first joined the South Brunswick Board of Education in 1994, after being appointed to serve out an unexpired term, Delgado has been deeply involved in school board matters. He spent three years as South Brunswick’s board president and three years as vice president. He has served as NJSBA’s Vice President for County Activities for four years, and is a former president of the Middlesex County School Boards Association. He has also been active at the national level, having served on the nominating committee of the National School Boards Association, and as a member of NSBA’s Hispanic caucus.

Within the Association, Delgado has also served as a member of the finance Committee, and was chair of the Nominating Committee. He has been a group leader and facilitator for new board member orientations, Advanced Boardsmanship and Leadership conferences, and has earned the NJSBA’s Master Board Member certification.

Delgado is a captain with the South Brunswick Police Department, received his B.A from Thomas Edison State College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Education and Human Resources Management at Seton Hall University. He is a Certified Public Manager by the New Jersey Department of Personnel. He and his wife, Nancy, have two daughters, Ashley and Bella.

Recently, Delgado shared his thoughts on public education, NJSBA’s strengths and challenges, and being a board member with School Leader.

How did you first become interested in serving on a school board?

I was active in the PTO at Indian Fields Elementary School in South Brunswick. I was an officer of that organization. That led to an appointment to a committee on a referendum for a new high school. After that, I interviewed for a vacancy on the board of education and was appointed to an unexpired term. That was nearly fourteen years ago.

How did you happen to get more involved with the Association—and then at the national level with NSBA?

Along the way, I’ve been encouraged by colleagues on school boards to participate in NJSBA and NSBA activities. I was recommended to be an NJSBA group leader by a former president of my local board, Ms. Marci Kamiker. Another colleague, Pat Sirr, who was president of the East Brunswick Board of Education, encouraged me to get involved in the county association.
From there I was elected as a delegate to NJSBA and eventually as County Association president. It was at a County Association Leadership meeting that my dear friend and former NJSBA President Patti Pawling, popped the question—would I be interested in running for office at the state level? James Dougherty and Kevin Ciak also encouraged me to run. I did and served two terms as Vice President for County Activities.

At the national level, I attended a meeting of the National Hispanic Caucus and was really impressed by the work of the caucus. In the room, there were board members from all over the country discussing issues and concerns that affected students of all races, and their passion was contagious! I felt the need to be part of the group and met the Chair at the time, Joe Guillen. Unbeknownst to me he was friends with our former Executive Director Edwina Lee. Coincidently a vacancy occurred, from all places, in the Northeast for Regional Director. I applied and was appointed by the full board.

How has your involvement in NJSBA and NSBA benefited your home district?

Certainly one of the benefits of my involvement at both the state and national level is the exposure and recognition that our district receives. I get to share the best practices from our school district with a larger group of educational leaders, as well as bringing back different perspectives from within the state and indeed from around the entire nation. It also helps to broaden the perspective of our community, our staff, and board members. Our ability to provide opportunities for students is often affected by decisions made at the federal and state level. I believe that the information and experiences I’ve acquired through my involvement at the state and national level has added value to our discussions about educational issues at the local level.

Tell us a little bit about your community, your school district and your involvement in it.

I live in a wonderful community that truly supports education and strives to serve the educational needs of every child. I say that from personal experience, since my involvement in boardmanship began at the local elementary school.

During my tenure on the board, I have seen the student population nearly double to a total of 8,900; we have eleven buildings to date. We have experienced the largest and fastest population growth in the last decade in Middlesex County, and the largest part of that growth has been in the school age population. I’m proud to say that student achievement continues to improve. We are an “I” district with strong SAT scores and a high percentage of our graduates go on to college, including top-tier educational institutions.

What have been some of the challenges that the South Brunswick board has faced in the time you’ve been there?

Managing enrollment growth certainly has been a challenge. The rapid growth has had an impact on staffing, resources, facilities and student achievement. All these variables affect the delivery of curriculum and present a challenge in maintaining the high expectations and quality of education that our community demands.

In addition, legislation such as S-1701 and its unintended consequences has left us with a fiscal challenge that we revisit every year.

As a police officer, school board member, parent and community volunteer you have been involved with young people in many ways. What do you think young people need these days from their schools?

They need a safe place that is nurturing and academically challenging and we provide that. They need mentoring, role models and leaders and we provide that, as well. In many ways, schools provide resources and opportunities that some young people can not get at home. Schools fill the needs of young people whose parents may both work or be unemployed, two-parent households or single parent homes. Schools fill these needs with not only activities, but caring relationships, connections and experiences that affect lives in very positive ways.

In the years you’ve been serving on a school board, how have things changed?

There have been many changes. The demographics in our community and in our schools have changed significantly. We need to adjust the delivery of instructional services and other resources accordingly to meet the needs of this diverse population. The costs of special education continued to increase, leading to challenges in controlling spiraling costs and meeting our obligation to serve these students. No Child Left Behind, and its consequences, have impacted educational tremendously. Also, our school district’s growth and its current size now requires greater commitment of time and effort from board of education members.

What issues do you think local school boards will be facing in the future?

One of the most important issues is meeting the challenges presented by new legislation and new regulations that impose fiscal constraints on budgets and reductions in staff. In the statewide fiscal crisis we’re in, the finger is being pointed at public education and those who so honorably serve their local schools.

Over the next several months, NJSBA will be developing a new long range plan. What are some of your goals for the Association?

I am humbled by the privilege that allows me to appoint the committee. I would like to impress upon this committee the magnitude of the task before us; to help this association set its course for the future.

I would like these goals to reflect a vision for change. We need to challenge ourselves to think differently, to take a hard look at ourselves and ask how have the expectations of our members changed? It’s not just a change in attitudes; circumstances now demand different services delivered in innovative ways. How can we take advantage of technology to respond to our members in more effective and efficient ways?

I would like these goals to define an association with a clear vision and a strategy to address the issues that threaten public education today. I envision an Association that is assertive and dynamic, with flexibility to respond quickly and effectively. I think we need an Association that uses a stronger voice in speaking for all students and those who serve them. I would like to see an association with a strong foundation of involved members who are united in advocating for students.

One of the goals will inevitably involve discussion of facilities as we see efficiencies the design of smart space with integrated technology.

What do you think NJSBA’s biggest challenges are going to be in the future—both internally and externally?

Internally, keeping up with the flurry of legislative action will continue to be a challenge. Part of this challenge may involve shuffling staff around to keep our aim on this moving target. Also, we need to remain flexible and adjust quickly to legislation that may affect our ability to provide much-needed services to our membership. Real people are the face of NJSBA and each of them, including each staff member, is very important to me.

Externally, over the next two years, it will be critical that all New Jersey boards work as a team. NJSBA will have to lead and coordinate this effort. We need to create a broader base of involved members. We need to do an inventory of the skills, interests, time and ability that these board members have. We need to cement these relationships by tapping into the considerable creativity and energy of our members, and channeling more members into advocacy. This type of creativity only comes from a grassroots effort. Today, the most critical challenge facing local boards is preserving this capability.

Finally, we need buy-in to our vision for change. We can’t effectively lead this movement with a 20th century approach. The present structure served this association well in the past but public education and those who so honorably represent it are under attack. We need to think differently! We need to get out of our comfort zone! For instance, more than a year ago, the legislature extended mandatory training to include experienced board members. As we deliver this mandatory training, NJSBA comes into contact with nearly 66 percent of our membership, face-to-face, year-to-year. We need to capitalize on this opportunity through a re-tooled committee structure that uses technology to improve data collection and that enables more members to be more involved.

What do you think are the Association’s biggest strengths?

Without hesitation NJSBA’s biggest strength is our staff. The commitment the staff has to customer service, and to meeting the highest expectations of our members on a daily basis, is truly exemplary.

What NJSBA services have been important to you as a local board member?

Many services have been important to me during the years as a local board member. Our legal services department is an incredible source of information. I sought advice during my years as local school board president many times. Governmental relations does a superb job of coordinating our advocacy efforts.

What do you think our schools need to do to prepare students to work and live and function in the 21st century?

I was just doing research for one of my graduate courses and came across some interesting articles on this topic. I was actually amused because one of the articles was titled, “How to Bring Our Schools out of the 20th Century.” As you know I am committed to spearheading change in the Association by re-tooling our structure using 21st century technology. Anyway, the research suggests that to prepare students to work and live in the 21st century they must, “…know more about the world.” Kids are global citizens now, even in small town America, and they must learn to act that way.

Students must think outside the box. Jobs in the new economy, the ones that won’t be outsourced or automated, put an enormous premium on creative and innovative skills, and on seeing patterns where other people see only chaos. Kids also must learn to think across disciplines.

Students also have to become smarter about new sources of information. Kids today deal with ever-proliferating sources of information, and they need to know how to rapidly process what’s coming at them and distinguish between what is reliable information and what isn’t. As the article I referred to said, “It’s important that students know how to manage it, interpret it, validate it, and how to act on it.”

Students must also develop good people skills. Emotional intelligence, or “EQ,” is as important as “IQ” for success in today’s workplace. “Most innovations today involve large teams of people. We have to emphasize communication skills, the ability to work in teams and with people from different cultures.”

We need to teach skills for the use of technology, including online safety, the ethics of using technology, and appropriate-use policies.

What advice would you give to brand new board members?

If I could tell them one thing, it would be: Step out of your comfort zone! The decisions that most significantly impact your students and your district are not made at the local level. They are made at the federal and state level. Our duties and responsibilities as board members, indeed our oath, require us to look beyond our local agendas or action items. We have a higher calling. We have a responsibility to advocate for the rights of students to a thorough and efficient education.

Janet Bamford is the editor of School Leader magazine. She can be reached at jbamford@njsba.org.

Make the most of community resources in times of crisis.

By Mallory McQuail

At some point or another, most school communities will experience a wrenching loss or a tragedy. That could involve losing a beloved teacher to a heart attack or a student to a suicide or car accident. A school could suffer an incident of in-school violence, like a school shooting, or there could be a community-wide, statewide or even national tragedy, such as the attacks of September 11.

Whatever the cause, the resulting trauma has a profound impact on the safety, aptitude and emotional well-being of students. A school is often a primary support system for students and families and central to the emotional lives of children.

School districts need to have a plan to handle a loss. Many districts have developed a policy and some have even set out regulations and procedures on how a school district should react when tragedy hits. One good example is the Rahway school district, which has put both a policy and a set of regulations into place; a copy of the policy appears on page 29.

New Jersey schools and school counselors are generally effective in providing day-to-day guidance and support to their communities. But, in the aftermath of crises, schools may underestimate the full impact of a situation or feel overwhelmed by the task of providing critical support to students and families.

School districts aren’t left to handle these situations on their own, by any means. There are outside resources that school districts can call upon in times of trouble, and to help train staff before difficult times hit.

Planning ahead, recognizing resources, and tapping into the expertise of both the mental health and school systems form the foundation for effective response to sudden, violent death in the school community, according to the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services.

Outside Support In New Jersey, the need for community-wide support programs was highlighted more than a decade ago, after several tragedies involving youth in schools.

The Mercer County Traumatic Loss Coalition (TLC) was created to respond to the losses, which included student suicides. The project created a model program, funded by the N.J. Department of Health, which is now used in all 21 of the state’s counties. The Traumatic Loss Coalitions for Youth Program, is based at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey’s University Behavioral HealthCare unit. The program provides training to those working with youth, as well as assistance to schools when needed following a traumatic loss event.

The Safe Schools Program developed in Gloucester County centers on school violence prevention, but also provides the county’s 28 public school districts with access to a crisis intervention team and related training.

“As a school administrator, you want to make sure you’re thinking of everything in every situation,” said Carol Birnbohm, assistant superintendent of Lenape Regional High School District.

Birnbohm’s district has participated in the Burlington County School Crisis Response Team since it began several years ago. “It’s great to have the outside support of our county response team and the support from the other schools in our district. It helps to talk about what needs to be done to make sure you’re covering all of the needs of your students and employees.”

According to David Platt, a guidance counselor at Paulsboro School District in Gloucester County, that district takes specific steps in offering grief support to students and staff and refers them to the services provided through the county when necessary. “We make a brief announcement via the public address system about the person who has passed,” said Platt. “We follow the announcement with an e-mail to the staff to ask them to refer any students who may be having particular difficulty with the loss to the guidance office. Counselors and Child Study Team staff are available for individual, group and family counseling.”

Helping Staff Help Others The New Jersey School Counselors Association (NJSCA) framework initiative for comprehensive school counseling, which was published in 2005, underscores the importance of crisis preparedness.

One of its core components is enhancement and support for the school counseling program, emphasizing the need to provide for unanticipated needs and events which prevent students from reaching their potential – including personal crisis and major life disappointments.

If a district has a crisis or trauma, such as sudden death of a student or staff member, outside resources like a county response team can provide additional counseling services to support the high volume of student needs as well as help staff members who are having difficulty coping.

“It helps to have counselors from other buildings come in because a lot of times, staff are the ‘walking wounded.’ It’s healthy for them to have outside support from other schools,” said Birnbohm.

The Samaritan Center for Grief Support in Marlton provides similar support services to area schools. “We are called into schools because the teachers may be affected in similar ways as the students. We offer them support to help them process their grief, and then help them to do the same for their students,” said Samaritan Center Manager Patricia Kinkead.

Birnbohm recalls a time when Lenape turned to the Samaritan Center when one of its schools experienced multiple traumatic events within days of each other. “We had a very popular student-athlete who passed away from meningitis. Students and teachers were grieving and at the same time a little fearful that they were going to become ill,” she said.

That same week, there was also a threat, in the form of graffiti, painted on the outside of the school building. “The media attention given to these occurrences also added to the students’ level of stress and trauma. Samaritan’s grief support was instrumental in helping our grieving students so our counselors could help other students who were showing signs of trauma,” said Birnbohm. “Samaritan personnel extended their assistance for a few days and also were available in the evening for family counseling.”

Identifying Grief According to Kathy Kehoe, LCSW, outside support can be extremely beneficial in helping schools manage crises as well as educating staff and students about typical grief reactions and appropriate coping skills. Kehoe, who has been a bereavement counselor for the Samaritan Center for five years, has extensive experience providing crisis intervention and grief education in New Jersey school districts. “All losses trigger typical grief reactions, regardless of age. Adults want to protect and shield children from death and dying but this tends to increase the children’s sense of confusion, mistrust and loneliness. Grief is a natural, healthy, and universal emotion. It helps us accept a loss and begin to heal. Feelings like loneliness, anger, guilt, confusion, and fear can all be present at once, which can be extremely difficult for a child to understand.”

Administrators and staff at Paulsboro Schools recognize and support the grieving process and offer continued support. “We take time to reflect and encourage students to generate ways to express their grief, such as through art,” said Platt. “Staff members may attend the viewing and funeral. And, importantly, we follow up with students and sometimes staff who continue to show signs of struggle.”

According to Kehoe, because children do not always openly express their grief, adults often deny their need to process such events. In order for schools to be effective in treating the needs of children exposed to grief, it is crucial that educators have the proper skills to identify typical grief behaviors in children of all ages. “Young children lack the necessary language skills to express their grief. They tend to act out their thoughts and emotions through behaviors and in their play,” says Kehoe. “If educators are not trained on what to look for, symptoms of grief may be overlooked or mistaken for behavioral problems.”

Seeking the Right Support The Samaritan Center for Grief Support has facilitated a variety of programs in New Jersey schools including Suicide Prevention workshops, Children and Grief programs and Compassion Fatigue programs for school personnel, as well as on-site grief support groups for children and teens.

“When Grief Impacts Your School” is a four-hour workshop provided by The Center that dispels common myths associated with children and grief and helps educators identify grief in their classrooms. “The majority of requests for workshops come from schools seeking professional or preventative training for staff,” said Kinkead. The greatest benefit from this work is that schools are better prepared when and if a death or traumatic event occurs.”

The Burlington County Crisis Response Team holds similar training for its members, which benefits participating districts by sharing the cost of training. “The team is made up of counselors, nurses, administrators, teachers and other building personnel who get trained every year by the Crisis Management Institute. Our staff, teachers and counselors are all trained on what to look for and signs of grief,” said Birnbohm.

This preparation can bear benefits long after the crisis ends. According to the National Center for School Counseling Outcome Research, schools with more fully implemented school counseling programs can experience higher academic achievement, higher graduation and attendance rates, and more equitable delivery of services to all students.

According to Kehoe, “More and more schools are reaching out for help. Schools benefit from a proactive approach as opposed to being reactive. Death and dying affect all races and religions, and every socioeconomic status. No one is immune.”

These thirteen programs are 2008’s winners of the Innovations in Special Education awards

By Janet Bamford

For New Jersey’s 233,000 special education students who are coping with physical and learning challenges, school days are often filled with struggle.

The good news for these students is that they live in a state that cares about—and supports – their education. New Jersey is widely acknowledged as a national leader in special education. These students are also fortunate to have some of the most dedicated and imaginative teachers around.

For the seventh year, New Jersey School Boards Association and ASAH, a non-profit organization of schools and agencies for children with disabilities, have spotlighted some of the most creative programs in the state for special education students. This year 13 programs were recognized at a celebration to mark Special Education Week that was held at The Midland School in North Branch.

“These awards recognize programs that demonstrate the hard work, creativity and leadership of New Jersey’s schools in preparing children with special needs to lead fulfilling and productive lives,” said Kevin E. Ciak, NJSBA’s immediate past president.

A panel of judges that included representatives from the N.J. Department of Education, ASAH and NJSBA evaluated 73 entries to come up with the 13 recognized programs. Their selections were based on a program’s innovation, how well it addresses student needs, how well it is integrated into the curriculum, its parental or community involvement component and its evaluation strategies.

“NOT FAR FROM PAR” GOLF PROGRAM
Bergenfield Public School District, Bergen County

Middle school and high school students with autism are taught the game of golf in a four-week long summer program. Because golf is an individual activity with repetitive rituals and a rich history of tradition and social etiquette, it has proven to be an outstanding means to connect with adolescents with autism. Staff members reported progress in each participating student’s motor skills, in his or her ability to focus and retain information, function as a member of a foursome and to communicate with peers and staff. The 2007 pilot program was funded with a grant from the United States Golf Association; the Bergenfield school district has been awarded additional funding from the USGA which will enable it to more than double the number of students in the program.

Contact: Dr. Michael Kuchar, superintendent, 201-385-8202, mkuchar@bergenfield.org.

THE VENTURE PROGRAM
Bergen County Special Services School District, Bergen County

The Venture Program addresses the complex needs of students in grades 5 through 12 who have recently been discharged from a psychiatric hospital or are currently exhibiting serious psychiatric symptoms. The program provides each student with a multidisciplinary team consisting of a teacher, paraprofessional, a licensed clinical social worker, a crisis counselor, a psychiatrist, a psychiatric nurse practitioner, a learning disability teacher/consultant and a case manager. Venture offers an academic departmentalized program that is aligned with the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and which supports participation in state and district-wide testing. A full array of psychiatric services, as well as medication management and monitoring, are available. In addition, the program provides crisis counseling, art therapy, recreational therapy, psychotherapy, and bereavement and loss counseling, along with family support. The program consists of a 220-day school year, which provides students with the continued support needed to foster retention, achievement and success. Comprehensive and intensive transition and discharge plans support the student’s transition to a new school or to adult life.

Contact: Dr. Seema Lodhi, principal, 201-343-6000 ext. 4560, seelod@bergen.org.

THE BALLET PROGRAM
Children’s Therapy Center, Cerebral Palsy Center of Bergen County

Children with multiple disabilities, aged 3 to 8, take part in a ballet class structured to be of therapeutic benefit. The physical therapist began the program after noticing a positive change in students when she added music to gross motor skills therapy. The therapist, who has a degree in dance, tailored classic ballet moves, such as “plies” and “tendus” to the children’s abilities. Additional goals were to improve the children’s ability to focus and attend to the activity and to be able to remain calm. The Ballet Program helps teaching assistants, nurses and therapists who are helping the children in the dance class to balance the need to facilitate the children’s efforts while providing as much opportunity for independent movement as possible. The ballet class year culminates in a Dance Recital, to the great delight of both students and parents.

Contact: Lynn Barral, assistant director, physical therapist, 201-797-7440 ext. 224, lbarral@thechildrenstherapycenter.org

HIGH POINT INN
CPC Behavioral Healthcare High Point School, Monmouth County

At CPC Behavioral Healthcare High Point School, a special education receiving private school that serves more than 150 students from ages 12 to 21, students help prepare all of the school lunches. This activity provides the students the opportunity to work in a restaurant-style kitchen, and prepare the entire lunch menu following federal nutritional guidelines. The students put into practice classroom skills and concepts including reading, math, budgeting and nutrition. The High Point Inn program is a pre-vocational program that helps determine if students are ready to transition to their home schools or to attend vocational training programs. Many students in the program go on to jobs in the food industry when they graduate. The program is funded by tuition from sending districts, and by Child Nutrition Program revenues.

Contact: Wilma Pfeffer, principal, 732-591-1750 ext. 322, wpfeffer@cpcbhc.org.

PAIRS PROGRAM
ECLC of New Jersey, Morris County

PAIRS stands for Partners in Afterschool Inclusive Recreation for Special Needs and is designed to to enrich the lives of both disabled and non-disabled students. ECLC of New Jersey, a state-approved private school for children with severe disabilities, formed a partnership with Millburn High School. The Millburn High students conduct a weekly evening basketball clinic for ECLC students, ages 12 to 21. The sessions last six weeks and are held in the fall and the spring. For the first 60 minutes, there is basketball skill/drill and practice. The last 30 minutes are devoted to interaction among all students with refreshments and activities, such as bingo and dancing.

Contact: Bruce Litinger, executive director,
973-635-1705 ext. 113, blitinger@eclcofnj.org

WITH DIFFERENCES ASIDE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS PROGRAM
Lakeview School, Cerebral Palsy Association of Middlesex County

The goal of the Lakeview School’s Community Schools program is to provide ongoing interaction between its students with disabilities and students without disabilities in nearby schools. General education public school students from Metuchen’s Campbell Elementary School, Edgar Middle School and Metuchen High School, the Gables Elementary School in Neptune Township, the Chittick Elementary School in East Brunswick and Scotch Plains-Fanwood’s Terrill Middle School participate in the program. The general education students receive training in the needs and abilities of disabled students, an aspect of the program that received special commendation from the judges. Activities that the special and general education students participate in together include adapted bell choir, music, art and physical education, as well as bowling. Students also write letters, stories and e-mails to each other, and have visited each others’ schools. “Parents have expressed their joy when their child is approached by a community school peer in the community, and they witness their child’s growing autonomy,” Lakeview’s entry package explained.

Contact: Lynn Sikorski, principal, 732-549-5580, lynn.sikorski@cpamc.org

BOOKENDS, BUDDIES AND BROADENED HORIZONS
Cherokee High School, Lenape Regional High School District, Burlington County

As part of the school’s Asperger Syndrome (AS) program, students, ages 14 to 17, participate in several activities to improve their social and academic skills. The school day is “bookend-ed” with morning and afternoon support sessions for students that include social skills workshops and academic assistance. The Buddies Club is an after-school social skills club that meets once a week and helps students with AS overcome social skills challenges by forming and maintaining new friendships among group members and with their peers in the larger student body. Members of a sister club of regular education students, Students Together for Autism Research (STAR), meet with the Buddies Club members every other week to help them practice conversation, maintain eye contact and adjust tone of voice. The AS students also receive individual assistance from a special education teacher and a paraprofessional.

Contact: Margaret Martin, asst. principal, Cherokee High School, Burlington County, 856-983-5140
ext 2394, mmartin@lrhsd.org.

THE HEALTH HEROES NUTRITION PROGRAM
The Midland School, Somerset County

Children with special needs are at increased risk for nutrition-related problems because of physical problems, motor limitations, sensory challenges and medical issues. But studies show that students who are provided with a nutritional education program show greater improvement in overall dietary behavior than those who are not. The Healthy Heroes program is designed for students ages 5 to 21 and includes monthly themes that create school-wide awareness through banners, bulletin boards, recipes and activity banks, as well as a tasting program that provides increased opportunities to try a variety of healthy foods. Students have the opportunity to participate through the Nutrition Club, and to assist with themed bulletin boards and hallway banners, The “Healthy Hero Patrol” provides reinforcement of healthy eating habits using students and staff to take pictures and create a photo record of students “caught” eating healthy lunches and snacks.

Contact: Suzy Frank, occupational therapist,
908-722-8222, frank@midlandschool.org

MIDLANDS HELPING HANDS HOUSEKEEPERS
The Midland School, Somerset County

Students at the Midland School ages 18 and older, sample jobs in the community to help them determine their interest, abilities and satisfaction levels. One of these job training experiences is the Midlands Helping Hands. The Somerset County Office on Aging identifies senior citizens who need assistance, typically housekeeping and cleaning services that seniors are no longer able to do by themselves. The team of one staff member and two students provides services such as vacuuming, dusting, cleaning floors and washing dishes. Students benefit by learning to perform these services, an activity that can later translate into jobs as they transition from school to work. The senior citizens benefit by receiving much- needed housekeeping services that, in some cases, allow elderly clients to remain in their homes, rather than moving to assisted living or nursing home situations.

Contact: Jane Wilkie, supervisor, 908-722-8222, wilkie@midlandschool.org

MADAME KILLEN’S WAX MUSEUM
Mount Olive Public Schools, Morris County

Madame Killen’s Wax Museum was designed for a self-contained special education class encompassing grades three to five, who are ages 8, 9, and 10. Inspired by a class trip to Madame Tussauds Wax Museum in New York City, students chose a famous American they wanted to research and dress as. They created a display, and, as visitors came through the “wax museum,” the students delivered a speech they had written about their subject. For example, “Neil Armstrong,” was standing in front of the moon. Students wrote a speech and memorized it, the classroom was transformed into a museum and students recited their speech in front of their peers. “Wax museum” visitors began by watching a five minute video from Madame Tussauds, in an adjacent classroom about how to make a real wax figure. As the visitors entered the classroom- museum, the 13 famous Americans stood perfectly still as if they were real wax figures. As visitors approached, they began to recite their speech. Among the figures included in the “wax museum” were Martin Luther King, Jr., Muhammad Ali, Helen Keller, Rudy Giulani, Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart and Neil Armstrong. Madame Killen’s Wax Museum addressed multiple NJ Core Curriculum Content Standards.

Contact: Karen Killen, Tinc Road School,
973-927-2203, kkillen@mtoliveboe.org

WE REMEMBER THE JEWISH CHILDREN OF THE BIALYSTOCK GHETTO
New Road School, Middlesex County

The New Road School, a private special education school for students with multiple disabilities, initiated a joint project with the Klasa 1a School in Bialystok, Poland, a Polish public school that integrates disabled children into regular classrooms. The project honors the Polish Jewish children from the Bialystok Ghetto who were put on a train, taken to Auschwitz, and killed on Erev Yom Kippur in 1943. The purpose of the program is to imagine the lives of these children. Students select the names of actual children who were victims, conjure up a one-page individual life story about their child, and make an oral presentation. Children in the Polish school went through the same process, and the schools exchanged wooden stick figures that symbolized the children. The project individualizes the tragedy of the Holocaust by giving faces and identities to the Jewish children who perished. By coordinating this project with a Polish school, students enjoy the experience of collaborating with students from another country and work towards a common goal of remembering the lives of the children of the Bialystok Ghetto. Local schools, libraries senior citizen centers and nursing homes were invited to the 2008 Holocaust Remembrance Day project.

Contact: Phyllis Pollak, social skills coordinator, 732-238-7700, phypollak@yahoo.com

CELEBRATING AWARENESS
Pemberton Township School District, Burlington County

The goal of Celebrating Awareness is to encourage non-disabled children to accept their peers with disabilities. Students in the district’s nine elementary schools have the opportunity to “try on” a disability and experience what it feels like to be disabled. In one activity, students learn what it is like to have visual disabilities by donning goggles or cellophane-covered glasses and trying to complete an assignment, such as a dot-to-dot or color by number. To simulate fine motor skill problems, students button a shirt normally and then try to do the same thing while wearing a pair of mittens. To test gross motor skills, students sit in a wheelchair and maneuver around the classroom building. As a result of going through this program, students can more readily empathize with others when they have had similar experiences.

Contact: Charlotte Dixon, special education supervisor, 609-893-8141; cdixon@pemb.org.

SOCIAL NORMS CAMPAIGN
Raritan Valley Academy, Middlesex Regional Educational Services Commission

The Social Norms Campaign aims to prevent substance abuse and bullying among its special education population in grades 6-12. The approach is based on the concept that an individual’s behavior is influenced by what he or she believes others are doing and that these beliefs are often incorrect. The campaign involves information gathered from confidential student surveys, which show that students believe that their peers use more tobacco, alcohol and other drugs than is actually the case. The program makes an effort to break these misconceptions through accurate messages communicated monthly and reinforced through various activities. “In an average week, the majority of Raritan Valley Academy 9th -12th grade students do NOT consume any alcohol” is a typical message. Activities and contests are held throughout the year to promote these monthly messages. Students who can recite the monthly social norm message become eligible for prizes, which include items such as Sony portable Playstations, iPods, CD players and gift cards from various retailers. The program is funded through a grant from Rowan University

Contact: Tia La Piana, principal,
732-777-9860, tlapiaa@mresc.k12.nj.us

New dates, new format… same top-notch programs

By Mark Bonjavanni

Set aside Tuesday through Thursday October 28 through October 30 to attend NJSBA’s annual program and exhibition in Atlantic City: Workshop 2008 is on.

Board members who may have been hesitating to make plans can rest easy. In April, the N.J. Department of Education issued a waiver to travel regulations that might have presented an obstacle to attending the program. School district attendees will be eligible for reimbursement for up to two nights’ stay (Tuesday and Wednesday) to attend Workshop. “NJSBA has demonstrated that it, along with its co-sponsors, will provide a rich program with numerous professional development offerings for board members, administrators and district employees,” stated Commissioner Lucille E. Davy in her waiver letter.

But this year’s Workshop, which has the theme “Guiding Tomorrow’s Leaders,”  will be different from previous events. Returnees to Workshop will notice that this year’s program has a new schedule that runs from Tuesday through Thursday. The schedule will allow for three full days of training, rather than the two-and-a-half that earlier Workshops had.

Training Opportunities Workshop will kick off Tuesday at the Atlantic City Convention Center with several programs which will allow board members to fulfill their legal requirements for training. 

For new board members, a full-day orientation session will be held. NJSBA staff will cover members’ roles and responsibilities regarding the Sunshine Law and the School Ethics Act, policy-making, finance and the budget development process, student achievement, labor relations, evaluating the chief school administrator, and legislative activity. Completion of this course satisfies the requirements of the School Ethics Act.

More seasoned school board veterans can attend the required advanced board training sessions. The Accountability Act requires that board members receive training on NJQSAC in the second year of their first term; those in the third year of their first term must receive training on finance. Board members who are elected to additional terms are required to receive training during the first year of any subsequent term that updates them on legal matters that concern boards. Sessions on all these topics will be held on Tuesday.

There will also be Board Member Academy training on Tuesday afternoon, as well as clinics on labor relations, on legal issues and on policy. 

Group Sessions and Action Labs are also scheduled for Tuesday. The Group Sessions provide an opportunity to discuss and debate timely and important topics; Action Labs are designed to provide hands-on training and interaction. Both will showcase innovations and best practices from school districts around the state.

On Tuesday, NJSBA will be running some of the Action Labs which have proven most popular in the past, including “Strategic Planning,” “Superintendent Search,” and “Superintendent Evaluation.” Those popular sessions will be repeated on Wednesday or Thursday.

Also on the schedule for Tuesday will be courses specifically aimed at chief school administrators and business administrators; those will be run in conjunction with the New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA) and the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NASBO.)

Tuesday evening, from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. MetLife is sponsoring a welcome reception at the Sheraton Atlantic City Conference Center Hotel. The event will provide members with a chance to share ideas with board members from other districts.

Wednesday, October 29 will feature a full day of Group Sessions and Actions Labs. Also on the schedule for Wednesday: a Labor Relations Mini-Workshop, a State Legislative Update, and a Public Relations Mini-Workshop. A Critical Issues Session on Wednesday will feature Thomas Alsbury, a researcher and assistant professor at North Carolina State University. Alsbury, the author of The Future of School Board Governance, will talk about current research findings concerning the affect of school board performance on student achievement. 

Wednesday evening is NJSBA’s Dessert and Dance Party, from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at Harrah’s Resort, the hotel which is conference headquarters. The event is sponsored by the Spiezle Group.

Thursday’s program will again feature Action Labs and Group Sessions, including the Urban Boards Group Session. Curriculum Fair and Question and Answer Roundtables will also be held, which will allow attendees to sit down, talk with presenters and explore programs in a casual face-to-face format.

General Session Speakers On Wednesday and Thursday afternoon, NJSBA is pleased to present general session speakers who will each illuminate the Workshop theme of “Guiding Tomorrow’s Leaders.”

On Wednesday, Nancy Giles, a CBS Sunday Morning writer and contributor will discuss Teaching Matters.  Giles, who was born and raised in Queens, New York, is a proud product of New York City’s often-maligned public school system. She will share her stories of the teachers who inspired her, her own volunteer work with kids and the constant lessons learned from both.

Giles, also an actress and comedian, is a graduate of Oberlin College, has toured with Chicago’s Second City comedy troupe, and has extensive New York theater credits.

In television, she appeared for three seasons on the acclaimed drama China Beach, and on the comedy series Delta, starring Delta Burke, and has been a guest on shows such as Law and Order, LA Law, Spin City and Fresh Prince. Giles has appeared in movies such as True Crime, with Clint Eastwood, Working Girl and Big. As a co-host of the radio show Giles and Moriarty (with CBS News correspondent Erin Moriarty) she won back-to-back American Women in Radio and Television Awards (Gracies) for Best Radio Talk Show. 

Thursday afternoon will feature Tierney Cahill, a teacher and former Democratic congressional candidate.

Cahill, the mother of three children and a sixth-grade teacher in Reno, Nevada, was teaching a civics lesson to her class when she told her students that anyone could run for public office. They disagreed and didn’t believe that “normal” Americans had a role in government. Her students challenged her to run for office. Determined to prove her point, Cahill decided to run for Congress in her state. Without large coffers and name-recognition, she lost the election to the incumbent, although she received an unexpected 34 percent of the vote. During the campaign, Cahill brought attention to some issues she felt deeply about, including education, mental health and nuclear waste. She also proved to her students that a “normal person” can run for office and make a difference. 

Cahill’s memoir of her Congressional race, Ms. Cahill for Congress: One Fearless Teacher, Her Sixth Grade Class, and the Election that Changed their Lives Forever, will be published by Random House in September, 2008. Cahill’s experiences are also the subject of the forthcoming film, Class Act, starring Halle Berry.

Cahill will recount her inspirational experiences and speak on the importance of overcoming self-doubt and the fear of failure in Living Without Fear at Thursday’s Workshop general session.

At Wednesday’s general session, NJSBA will honor its School Board Member of the Year. Presentations to the Teacher of the Year, the Superintendent of the Year and the School Business Administrator of the Year will also be made.

Workshop 2008 will recognize innovative programs in school districts around the state with NJSBA’s School Leader awards, which will be presented during Thursday’s General Session. Recognition awards for boards and individuals who have earned Board Member Academy designations such as Master Board Member, Certified Board Member or Certified Board Leader will be held Thursday; boards which have completed the training required to qualify for Board Certification, Recertification or Master Board Certification will be honored at this same time.

Exhibition Hall  On Wednesday and Thursday, the exhibition hall at Atlantic City Convention Center will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. With more than 500 exhibitors, the hall provides members an easy forum for learning about the latest in educational products and services. There will be student art exhibits and periodic student performances in the exhibit hall throughout those days.

The exhibit hall will also feature the CAL Café, where light refreshments will be available. On Wednesday a free box lunch will be provided to school board members, courtesy of sponsor AC Central.

The Association Central booth in exhibition hall will be the place to meet with officers and staff from NJSBA, NJASA and NJASBO; members can also check their e-mail at the Cyber Café on the exhibit floor.

School board members understand the value of a good education better than most people. Workshop 2008 provides an extraordinary opportunity for your own professional development as a board member. You can learn about the latest developments and best practices in New Jersey public education, and sharpen your leadership and governance skills.  For more on Workshop, including housing and registration information, go to the “What’s New” section of www.njsba.org.