At its January monthly meeting on Monday, the New Jersey State Board of Education marked School Board Recognition Month by approving a resolution that commends the hard work and dedication of the state’s nearly 4,800 local school board members.
“New Jersey’s locally elected and appointed boards of education play a vital role in ensuring that their local school districts meet state standards and adhere to all code provisions, with the goal of providing an outstanding education to prepare all students for college and the workplace and to enable them to compete in a global economy,” the State Board’s resolution states. “The efforts of local boards of education, in conjunction with state education officials and local educators, have built a foundation of success that has led to New Jersey’s status as a leader in student achievement, as evidenced by the National Assessment of Educational Progress scores.”
“School Board Recognition Month provides the opportunity to educate New Jersey’s citizens about the essential role that school boards play in the governance of our public schools,” said Don Webster Jr., NJSBA president, who accepted the resolution. “It also represents a way to thank our local school board members who dedicate an enormous amount of their time and effort to our schools at no compensation.”
The New Jersey School Boards Association also received high praise. At Monday’s meeting, Mark Biedron, president of the State Board, called NJSBA “probably the finest school boards association in the country.”
New Jersey’s local school boards oversee the operations of the public schools that serve about 1.38 million students, according to NJSBA, a sponsor of the recognition month in the state.
The National School Boards Association began School Board Recognition Month in the early 1990s, and various states dedicate a month to recognize the contributions of local school board members. 2016 marks the 15th year that School Board Recognition Month has been celebrated in New Jersey.
Information to help communities honor the work of their local board members is available through NJSBA’s website.
