• Ray Pinney, NJSBA’s chief membership engagement officer, speaks to the assembled group of new board members.

Scores of new board members enjoyed a weekend of networking and training at the New Board Member Orientation Weekend conducted by the New Jersey School Boards Association with support from the Educational Leadership Foundation of New Jersey, from Friday, Jan. 24 to Sunday, Jan. 26 at the Crowne Plaza Conference Center in Princeton.

Gwen Thornton, senior director of content at NJSBA, welcomed participants Friday evening before a session on board governance followed by small group breakout sessions on goal setting and the superintendent evaluation.

Karen Cortellino, M.D., president of the Association, delivered remarks to attendees on Saturday. She was joined by David Hespe, executive director of ELFNJ, who welcomed attendees.

Throughout the weekend, attendees engaged in robust programming, with sessions covering topics such as the board’s role in curriculum and instruction, ethics, the Open Public Meetings Act; harassment, intimidation and bullying; labor relations, working as a team, the art of listening and more.

Pursuant to the School Ethics Act, every newly elected school board member is required to participate in the orientation course within 90 days of being sworn in. You can find more information on this requirement in an article by the NJSBA’s general counsel, Carl Tanksley Jr.

There are only a handful of seats left for the next New Board Orientation Weekend, which will be Feb. 21 to Feb. 23, also at the Crowne Plaza Conference Center in Princeton. Register here.

There is a limit of two members per district allowed to attend this weekend training. Registration for mandated training may only be completed online by your school business administrator. Please contact your district office to be registered.

The program is entirely free. Costs, including all meals, materials and hotel stay, are underwritten by a grant from the ELFNJ.