In about a month, most of New Jersey’s boards of education will conduct their annual reorganization when they formally elect a board president.
The current issue of School Leader magazine, posted online here, features two articles on board leadership.
The cover article, “Choosing a Board President,” by Sheli Dansky and Irene LeFebvre, looks at the processes the boards typically use in picking a president, and suggests questions boards should ask themselves to evaluate their individual board’s leadership needs. Sheli Dansky is currently the vice president of the River Edge Board of Education, and Irene LeFebvre is on the Boonton Town Board of Education. Collectively they have more than 50 years of experience serving on a board and have both been their board’s president. They also have the distinction of having been named New Jersey Board Members of the Year; Sheli Dansky in 2016-2017, and Irene LeFebvre in 2020-2021.
The magazine includes another article on board leadership, “Chairman’s Gavel: 12 Tips for New Board Presidents.”
School Leader also offers practical guidance for effective online teaching in the article “Making Remote Learning Effective,” by Dr. Marc Natanagara, who recently retired as assistant superintendent for the Toms River Regional School District. Natanagara developed the “Remote Digital Learning Roadmap 1.0,” the inaugural effort of the Sustainable Jersey Digital Schools Program. The Roadmap focuses on practical guidance for effective teaching, allowing districts to adapt recommendations based on available resources and the needs of their particular community, and it highlights successful practices for sustainable remote learning.
Each issue of School Leader has a special section that concentrates on a particular topic. This issue’s focus is school law, and includes articles on board member ethics, student privacy in the digital age, and special education rights and responsibilities during COVID-19.
School Leader is posted online and mailed to all board of education members in New Jersey.