Resolution Recognizing Local Board Service Passes Unanimously
At its Jan. 6 monthly meeting, the New Jersey State Board of Education paid tribute to School Board Recognition Month.
The board approved a resolution that recognizes the hard work, under difficult circumstances, of the state’s nearly 5,000 local school board members.
“School board members, who serve without compensation, represent their community’s aspirations for the public schools by setting goals and providing oversight for the entire school district,” said Mike McClure, NJSBA president. “Local school board service has a direct impact on the lives of our children and the quality of life in our communities.”
NJSBA Executive Director Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod thanked the State Board for the tribute.
“NJSBA thanks the State Board of Education for recognizing the commitment of local boards of education,” said Feinsod. “Board of education members are crucial to the governance of our schools, and their work has contributed to making the state’s schools among the most respected in the country.”
In part, the resolution prepared by the State Board reads:
“New Jersey’s locally elected and appointed boards of education play a vital role in … providing an outstanding education to prepare all students for college and the workplace and to enable them to compete in a global economy.”
The State Board’s resolution also says, “The efforts of local boards of education, in conjunction with state education officials and local educators, have built a foundation of success that has led to New Jersey’s status as a leader in student achievement.”
New Jersey’s local boards of education play an essential role in our students’ lives. Local school board members oversee 580 school districts, which in turn, operate nearly 2,500 public schools and provide educational services to nearly 1.4 million children. Board members set the policies for schools and make important decisions affecting curriculum, financing and staffing.
January 2021 is the 20th annual School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey, a time to raise public awareness of the role and responsibilities of local boards of education and to thank school board members for their efforts.
The New Jersey School Boards Association has prepared items to help public bodies, organizations and local school districts recognize the role of the boards of education and the contributions of their communities’ school board members. Click here to access these items.
Board members should feel free to use their own ideas to celebrate School Board Recognition Month, and email Ann Marie Smith, executive administrative assistant, to let the NJSBA know about them.