On Friday, May 10, the New Jersey School Boards Association will be setting the stage for Workshop 2024, by bringing together school officials from across New Jersey for a day of collaboration and professional growth during its Spring Conference.
Held at the Conference Center at Mercer from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., this in-person event is a prequel to Workshop 2024 and will feature more than a dozen training sessions covering topics of interest to boards of education.
Two newly announced sessions in the school safety track will explore lockdowns and threat assessment teams, delivered by experienced speakers ready to share their knowledge with school officials.
Enhancing the Traditional Lockdown – 10:40 a.m.
The traditional lockdown leaves two unanswered questions: 1. How do you maximize survival prior to a lockdown? 2. How do you maximize your chances of survival after a lockdown, if an assailant enters your area? We will answer those questions in a safe, low-stress, low-impact, fun and interactive environment.
Zachary R. Pugh, president and chief instructor of Pugh Self-Protection & Combatives, will present this session. A police officer since 2011, Pugh has been studying human violence and teaching self-protection since 2002. He has developed training programs not available from other places.
Making a Positive Impact Through Threat Assessment Teams – 1:10 p.m.
This session will explore the requirements of Behavioral Threat Assessment Teams in New Jersey, with a focus on how to ensure these teams remain effective and help create a positive environment in schools.
Kimberly A. Gatti, a graduate of Rutgers School of Law – Camden, who serves as the director of policy at the NJSBA, will provide school districts with policy information, updates and information to assist in developing policies and policy manuals. She has served as legal counsel to school districts across the State of New Jersey and also served as the coordinator for the State Board of Examiners within the New Jersey Department of Education.
A tentative agenda of the Spring Conference can be found here; more details will be added soon.
Registration Details NJSBA’s Spring Conference has a member fee of $99 per person and a nonmember fee of $129 per person. The program offers Workshop credit, three Board Member Academy credits and one statewide/regional professional development credit.
Registration of school board members, administrators and district staff who have been included on the NJSBA census may be registered online, but only by the school business administrator, who must attach a scanned copy of the purchase order with the registration. Register here.
For questions regarding the Spring Conference, please contact NJSBA’s Training Department.