M E D I A A D V I S O R Y
EVENT: Workshop 2017: Education for a Common Purpose
DATE: October 23-26, 2017
LOCATION: Atlantic City Convention Center
SPONSORS: New Jersey School Boards Association
New Jersey Association of School Administrators
New Jersey Association of School Business Officials
CONTACT: Frank Belluscio ([email protected]) (609) 306-5371
Janet Bamford ([email protected]) (609) 658-6249
(609) 449-3945 – Conference Center (Oct. 24 and 25)
Approximately 8,000 local school officials will gather October 23-26 for Workshop 2017, the major training conference for New Jersey’s public school leaders.
Workshop 2017 will offer more than 250 training and information sessions on topics of critical importance to the state’s public school districts. The sessions will focus on topics including student achievement, STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts, and mathematics) education, technology, cyber-security, labor relations, student health and wellness, school law, school finance, budgeting and sustainability/green schools, among other topics. Most sessions will offer professional development credit to school board members, superintendents, school business administrators, and other school officials.
All sessions will take place at the Atlantic City Convention Center.
The annual conference is co-sponsored by the New Jersey School Boards Association, the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, and the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials.
Major programs of interest to the news media are scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 24 and Wednesday, Oct. 25.
Highlights
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24
A Conversation with the Education Commissioner Kimberley Harrington, New Jersey Commissioner of Education, will highlight how so many educators have effectively raised student voices. She will also share how in New Jersey, we are continuing on a strong path toward helping our students reach their greatest potential, both during their school years as well as beyond high school graduation. 2-3:30 p.m., Exhibit Hall Theater
Future Ready Schools – New Jersey The first group of schools to earn certification through the Future Ready Schools—New Jersey program will be recognized during a special session. A partnership among NJSBA, the New Jersey Institute of Technology and the New Jersey School Boards Association, FRS-NJ helps schools plan and implement effective digital learning strategies. FRS-NJ participants receive direction, guidance, support and resources to reach the benchmarks of Future Ready certification. 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m., Exhibit Hall Stage
Panel Discussion with the State Board of Education Members of the New Jersey State Board of Education will participate in a moderated discussion on current educational issues facing the state’s public schools. 11 a.m.-Noon, Room 301
STEAM Tank Finals At an Integrative STEAM (I-STEAM) Command Center, young inventors will display their creativity, problem-solving skills and innovative ideas, in the STEAM Tank Challenge finals. Student teams in grades K-8 and 9-12 will be judged by a panel of experts and entrepreneurs, in a live-judging format similar to the TV show, “Shark Tank.” STEAM Tank is sponsored by NJSBA and the U.S. Army. Live competition takes place9:15 a.m.-2:05 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 24, and 9:15 a.m.-2:20 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 25, I-STEAM Command Center.
Other sessions of interest on Oct. 24 include:
Implicit Bias in the Classroom, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Room 401
- Mitigating Declining Enrollment in Your District, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Room 421
- Twists and Turns of Tenure in New Jersey, 11 a.m.-noon, Room 414
- “Un-like” Cyberbullying, 1-2 p.m., Room 413
- Beyond the Bathroom Debate: An Expansive Trans Student Rights Policy, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Room 401
- Promoting School Safety and Security in Changing Times, 4-5 p.m., Room 410
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25
New Jersey State Legislative Update Co-sponsored by NJSBA and the Garden State Coalition of Schools, the panel discussion draws prominent members of the Senate and Assembly to discuss issues of importance to school districts, such as school funding, the achievement gap, and more. Legislators expected to participate include Senate President Stephen M. Sweeney, Assembly Majority Leader Louis D. Greenwald, Assemblyman Jack M. Ciattarelli, Assemblyman Declan J. O’Scanlon, Jr., and Assemblywoman Patricia Egan Jones. (Legislators’ attendance may be subject to change.) 1-2:30 p.m., Room 301
KEYNOTE SPEECH, “What do Our Students Need to be Successful in 2027…and Beyond?” Countless studies agree with the World Economic Forum that students need outstanding social-emotional skills to be successful in school, family, community, workplace, and civic life…regardless of what new technologies emerge in the future. For students to achieve those skills, schools must be dedicated to promoting their social-emotional competence and character. Maurice J. Elias, Ph.D., director of the Rutgers Social and Emotional Learning Laboratory, will present the Workshop 2017 keynote address on this important topic. 11 a.m.-12 p.m., Exhibit Hall Theater
Mock Board A group of school board attorneys will role-play the parts of school board members during the annual Mock School Board Meeting. Controversial issues likely to come before any school board in the coming year will be addressed. Attendees will also have the opportunity to ask general school law and labor relations questions to the panel. Small group sessions following the Mock Board Meeting will provide legal analyses of potentially contentious issues. 12:45-2 p.m., Investors Bank Theater (Small group sessions, 2-2:30 p.m.)
Other sessions of interest on Oct. 25 include:
- The Forgotten Danger for Schools: Cybersecurity, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Room 301
- The Employability Skills Gap: Preparing Students for Career Success, 10-11:30 a.m., Room 318
- The Impact of Labor-Management Collaboration on Student Learning, 1-2 p.m., Room 401
- Shared Services: Schools and Municipalities Working Together for Children’s Health, 2:30-3:30 p.m., Room 401
Reporters can obtain information about other Workshop 2017 programs by contacting Ann Marie Smith at [email protected].
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The New Jersey School Boards Association is a federation of the state’s local boards of education and includes the majority of New Jersey’s charter schools as associate members. NJSBA provides training, advocacy and support to advance public education and promote the achievement of all students through effective governance.
The New Jersey School Boards Association has conducted Workshop since 1953. It was joined in sponsorship of the annual conference by the New Jersey Association of School Administrators in 1978 and by the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials the following year.