NJSBA’s first virtual Spring Education Symposium is coming up in May, giving participants an opportunity to learn about relevant issues while connecting with peers.

Based on the success of NJSBA’s Virtual Workshop 2020 event, NJSBA is hosting a new event this spring featuring more than 40 sessions. It will take place Wednesday May 12 and Thursday May 13, 2021.

“Despite challenges created by the pandemic, NJSBA continues to champion valuable training and provide the resources to equip New Jersey’s school leaders to meet the challenges they face,” said Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, NJSBA executive director. “Because we are still in the midst of the pandemic, we chose to hold this event virtually. It allows all of us to connect and stay safe. The virtual nature of the event also comes with some added benefits.”

What’s NJSBA’s Spring Education Symposium? NJSBA’s Spring Education Symposium consists of timely sessions for school leaders including school board members, superintendents, business administrators, IT directors, facilities managers, curriculum directors, other administrators, and charter school trustees. Attendees will have the chance to network and exchange ideas that will enable districts to continue improving education in the Garden State.

The technology for the event is a user-friendly interface that lets participants watch livestream sessions securely. You can chat with other attendees, interact during sessions, access program information, and more. The web-based interface makes it easy to log in from anywhere. You will not have to download any special program to view the presentations.

Why Now? The timing for the event is ideal, as many schools are still coping with stress from the pandemic and eager to discover solutions. The education community, including the students, have been significantly impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. By coming together, education professionals can share best practices so others can make more effective, efficient decisions.

As school districts look to resume activities they put on hold last year, many want to discuss how to move forward. Additionally, school leaders can talk about how to manage existing and future government pandemic funding.

NJSBA’s Spring Education Symposium is a valuable opportunity to talk about what has worked and what has not in terms of remote learning, facilities management, school board administration, and other factors that impact school leaders and students. NJSBA will bring together thought leaders who can share practical tips and insights about how to respond to the challenges that school districts, educators and students face.

Aside from pandemic-related issues, the event also gives school leaders pertinent information about the latest advancements in the field of education. This is important, as there have been developments in the education arena during the past year.

Benefits of a Virtual Event Hosting the event virtually presents a slew of advantages. Namely, attendees can still connect with others without having to take additional precautions such as social distancing and masking.

“While many school leaders are interested in resuming in-person events, which we will do in the future, having this one virtually allows for those not comfortable to be able to attend,” Feinsod added.

In addition to attending in May, participants will be able to access all of the presentations for 30 days after the event. This means that attendees can listen to additional sessions, or all of them, to gain even more knowledge.

“The virtual platform worked really well for us in the fall with Workshop 2020. Those programs are available through October 2021,” Feinsod noted. “You can get even more out of an event when you can attend additional workshops. We encourage everyone to choose the sessions they want to attend live, and also to revisit all of the content after the live event wraps up.”

Topics Covered This brand-new event will feature more than 40 sessions running concurrently over eight tracks. Conference topics include:

  • Virtual Learning
  • Learning Loss Mitigation/Educational Practices
  • School Facilities
  • Cyber/School Security
  • Social Emotional Learning/Mental Health
  • Special Education
  • School Finance
  • School Law

Bring your colleagues. Similar to NJSBA’s Workshop Conference, NJSBA’s Spring Symposium will feature training for your entire district team. In addition to offering Board Member Academy credits, NJSBA is applying for Certified Educational Facilities Manager (CEFM) credits and Qualified Purchasing Agent (QPA) credits.

We can’t wait to see you at NJSBA’s Spring Education Symposium! Please ask your school business administrator to register online at njsba.org as soon as possible.

Kristen Fischer is a contributing editor to School Leader magazine.