Fall 2022 Vol. 53 No. 2 Archives - New Jersey School Boards Association

Fall 2022 Vol. 53 No. 2

Pivot Points

When the executive director post opened up at the New Jersey School Boards Association, three different people reached out to Dr. Timothy Purnell with the exact same message: Apply for the job.

Workshop 2022: Facing the Future Together

After two tumultuous years that have tested all of us personally and professionally, the New Jersey School Boards Association is thrilled to be back in-person for Workshop 2022 at the Atlantic City Convention Center.

Contentious Times Require Doses of Collaboration and Mutual Respect

What if, Dr. Saul Rubinstein asked, instead of being goaded into angry confrontations, school board members, teachers, superintendents and parents all worked collaboratively to improve schools and help kids?

Tackling the Teacher Shortage

New Jersey is facing a dire teacher shortage – and unless the education community acts, there will continue to be a lack of qualified educators to teach the state’s children.

Happy Birthday, School Leader!

What has remained constant for the past half century is School Leader’s relentless focus on helping local board of education members effectively fulfill their responsibility to govern their districts.

Five Schools Honored with Innovations in Special Education Award

This year, programs from five schools were honored: Summit High School, Transitions at Burlington County Special Services School District, New Road School of Ocean County, The Calais School and Benway School.

President's Message: New Beginnings at Workshop

This year, I am happy to undertake a new Workshop task – introducing and welcoming NJSBA’s new executive director, Dr. Timothy Purnell. As you may know, he was the unanimous choice of the NJSBA Executive Director Search Committee.

Executive Word: Every Child Needs a Champion

In this latest issue of School Leader, you’ll find articles that will help you navigate these challenging times, including an issue I’m particularly passionate about: easing the teacher shortage.

ELFNJ Spotlight: NJSBA County Meetings Gear Up for Fall

This fall, NJSBA’s county school boards association meetings will continue to be hybrid — with board members able to attend in person and virtually.

Legally Speaking: Prayer at the 50-Yard Line: The Religious Rights of Public School Staff

Courts have struggled to distinguish religious-themed activities and symbols that cross the line from those with enough secular significance to pass constitutional muster.

Labor Lookout: Trends in Collective Negotiations

Comparative data can provide boards with a sense of what other districts are doing. It can also provide board members with a sense of how competitive their district is in various areas.

Field Perspective: Questions from the Field

Periodically, the FSRs, who are all former board members themselves, share with School Leader magazine some of the questions they’ve recently fielded. This article includes a sampling of some of the latest queries.

Head of the Class: The Show Must Go On

When Ocean Township High School (Monmouth County) drama teacher Chelsea Gower was planning for the 2020-2021 school year, she was determined that her students would have the opportunity to perform and showcase their talents.