Gov. Phil Murphy has proclaimed January 2020 as School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey, citing the “countless hours, without remuneration” spent by nearly 5,000 local board members who oversee operations in 580 school districts.
The governor acknowledged the important role board members play in making New Jersey’s public schools among the best in the nation.
“Local boards of education have contributed to New Jersey being among the leading states in academic achievement, as measured by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), and by district participation and student achievement in the Advanced Placement and SAT assessments,” the governor said in his proclamation.
“New Jersey’s local boards of education endeavor to meet the challenges facing public schools and help students attain the education necessary for postsecondary success so they may compete in a global economy,” the governor said in his Jan. 2 proclamation.
New Jersey School Boards Association President Mike McClure acknowledged the key role board members play in the success of New Jersey’s public schools.
“Local boards of education provide crucial guidance by setting the policies and goals for the entire school district,” explained McClure. “The dedication of our board members has helped make our state a leader in student achievement.”
“School boards are democracy in action. No other public official, elected or appointed, has a greater impact on the lives of children than the local school board member,” said Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, NJSBA executive director. “We thank the governor for recognizing the dedication of our state’s local school board members and the central role that they play in the governance of public education.”
The NJSBA initiated the state’s first School Board Recognition Month in 2002 to honor the dedicated local school board members who oversee the education of the state’s nearly 1.4 million public school students. Gov. Murphy’s proclamation can be accessed online, and information and resources for School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey are also available.