Join the New Jersey School Boards Association on Friday, May 10 for a day of collaboration and professional growth at its Spring Conference.
Held at the Conference Center at Mercer from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., this in-person prequel to Workshop 2024 will feature more than a dozen training sessions covering topics impacting boards of education today. The conference will include tracks focusing on school safety, public relations/communications and student achievement.
School public relations officials and communications professionals can strengthen their skills by attending the following sessions as part of the conference’s public relations track.
How District Leaders Collaborate to Inform and Engage the Community
Hear a panel discussion on how the superintendent and the district communications professional work together to share a school district’s good news, manage communications in a crisis and effectively engage the community. Learn the role each person plays, how they work with the district’s board of education and how cooperation and collaboration can lead to successful outcomes.
Communicating the Importance of Mental Health Care to Employees: Integrating Primary/Mental Health Care Messaging Through Onsite Health Centers
Healthy minds and bodies are inextricably linked. Yet, because of social stigma that sometimes accompanies mental/behavioral health care, employees who need such care may not have easy access. Although benefit coverage may look good on paper, a lack of network providers as well as unfamiliarity with appropriate pathways of mental/behavioral healthcare can be impediments to securing them. This session will feature a discussion on how school districts can highlight the importance of mental/behavioral health services within a primary care setting exclusive to their employees.
Crisis Communications Around Bullying Incidents
Bullying continues to be a difficult and heart-wrenching problem in schools, and there are special considerations to keep in mind when communicating with students, parents, staff and the public about this topic. This session will explore how to communicate effectively and with professionalism and compassion. It will also highlight how to provide support for students and staff in the age of social media.
A tentative agenda of the Spring Conference can be found here.
Earn Workshop Credit As part of the NJSBA’s continuous effort to help members receive quality training while working toward their boardsmanship goals, the Spring Conference will also offer Workshop credit.
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 three Board Member Academy credits and one statewide/regional professional development credit.
Registration of school board members, administrators, and district staff that 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.