The New Jersey School Boards Association has announced the Civility Starts with Us initiative to promote and highlight the boards of education practicing good governance.
NJSBA recognizes that the key to good school governance is that the dialogue and conversations between board members, administrators, members of the community even when they disagree is respectful. NJSBA also is aware and it is born out by numerous national polls that the Americans feel that public discourse has grown more vitriolic in recent years. NJSBA believes that we need to change the public perception of how New Jersey schools are run in order to build confidence in public education in New Jersey.
The essence of Civility Starts with Us is for local boards of education to publicly state through a board resolution and/or a public pledge that they are committed to governing with respect and civility.
The pledge and the resolution will be found at the Civility Starts with Us webpage, available soon. This website will include links to polls and articles on civility. In addition, this site will also host current and future podcasts on the topic. We will also be listing the boards of education that pass the resolutions and take the pledge. We hope to highlight the local school boards that are quietly and effectively governing their school districts.
NJSBA will send out an email in the coming days to local board members and administrators about the initiative. If your district passes the resolution and/or takes the pledge, please email us the resolution and photos of the meeting to civility@njsba.org. If you have questions or comments about this initiative, please email Ray Pinney, chief membership engagement officer, at rpinney@njsba.org.
