The first of 2019’s two New Board Member Orientation weekend programs was held Jan. 11-13 at the Princeton Marriott in Plainsboro. Approximately 100 newly minted school board members spent Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday learning about their new responsibilities, through large and small group sessions on topics including school law, policy, the School Ethics Act, ways to improve student achievement, school finance, labor relations, the board-superintendent relationship, and advocacy.
The small-group breakout sessions, moderated by veteran board members, allowed the new members to get hands-on training with experienced leaders and to network with their peers. In the photograph, Dan Sinclair, NJSBA president (sitting at end of table), speaks to his group.
All costs, including meals, materials, and hotel stay, are underwritten by a grant from the Educational Leadership Foundation of New Jersey (ELFNJ). The January program was sponsored by the New Jersey Schools Insurance Group.