At its Jan. 7, 2026, meeting, the State Board of Education presented the New Jersey School Boards Association with a resolution in honor of New Jersey School Board Recognition Month. According to the resolution, the State Board and the Commissioner of Education “recognize the contributions of the state’s local boards of education to the academic success of public school students, and express their sincere appreciation to local board of education members for their continued focus on the achievement of children throughout New Jersey.” The resolution also encourages qualified New Jersey residents to consider running for and serving on their local boards of education.
NJSBA President Michael Jacobs and Executive Director/CEO Dr. Timothy Purnell accepted the resolution on behalf of the Association. “On behalf of NJSBA and more than 5,000 board of education members and charter school trustees across our state, I am deeply honored to stand before you today to express our profound gratitude for your recognition of School Board Recognition Month,” said Jacobs. “This recognition honors thousands of individuals who have stepped forward to shoulder one of democracy’s most sacred responsibilities: ensuring that New Jersey’s 1.4 million students receive the quality education they deserve.”
The State Board resolution follows a Dec. 2, 2025, proclamation that designated January 2026 as School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey.
In addition to honoring School Board Recognition Month, the State Board also recognized the following individuals:
- 2025 New Jersey Superintendent of the Year: Dr. Raymond A. González (Westfield Public School District)
- 2025 School Business Administrator of the Year: Corey J. Lowell (West Long Branch School District)
- 2025 Visionary Principal of the Year, Elementary Level: Gisela Ciancia (Roosevelt Elementary School, New Brunswick)
- 2025 Visionary Principal of the Year, Secondary Level: Tony Cattani (Lenape High School, Lenape Regional High School District)
In the official business portion of its agenda, the State Board swore in two members: Mary Bennett (to succeed herself) and James Williams (to replace Elaine Bobrove). Their terms on the State Board will expire on June 30, 2030. The board also named Alfonso Q. Llano Jr. to be the new state superintendent overseeing the Camden City School District. Finally, the board took action on the following item:
Military Science Endorsement — The State Board approved proposal-level amendments at N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-11.8 to delete the requirement for a candidate to document 20 years of military experience to qualify for a standard instructional certificate with a military science endorsement. The amendments came as a result of a petition for rulemaking. The petitioner had requested that only the existing requirement to remain would be for a candidate to hold a valid certification authorizing employment as a military science instructor from the branch of service in which the candidate served. The military science endorsement allows holders to teach military science in all public schools in New Jersey. Public testimony on these amendments will be heard at the State Board’s March 2026 meeting. The amendments will need to be returned to the State Board for consideration before adoption.
