TRENTON, JUNE 18, 2020 – Recent additions to NJSBA’s COVID-19 Resource Center (www.njsba.org/COVID-19) include details on how leading education groups in the state identified their priorities for safely reopening schools. Also, in response to concerns expressed by the NJSBA, the state Department of Education agreed to extend the deadline for evaluating superintendents from July 1 to July 31. And the state issued new guidance on the expenditure of CARES Act set-aside funds.
NJSBA, Education Groups Identify Priorities for School Reopening The Leadership for Educational Excellence, a coalition of the state’s major educational organizations, including the NJSBA, this week identified four priorities that must be met for the state to successfully reopen schools. In a June 17 letter to members of their respective associations, the leaders of the six LEE organizations called for “clear and universal” health and safety guidelines to serve as the foundation for a school reopening plan. Posted June 18.
CARES Act Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Funds: Use of State Set-Aside Funds Identifies half a dozen target areas the New Jersey Department of Education will support with CARES Act funds, including, but not limited to, continuing to provide educational services such as remote learning while schools remain closed for in-person instruction, and developing and implementing plans for the return to normal operations. Posted June 18.
Superintendent Evaluation Deadline Extended The NJSBA thanked Commissioner of Education Lamont Repollet and the state Department of Education for responding to its concerns and granting a 30-day extension of the deadline for the evaluation of school district superintendents by local boards of education. On June 17, the Department of Education announced a temporary rule modification, which moves the deadline for completing the evaluations from July 1 to July 31. Posted June 18.
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The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of the state’s local boards of education and includes the majority of New Jersey’s charter schools as associate members. NJSBA provides training, advocacy and support to advance public education and promote the achievement of all students through effective governance.