school-board-recognition
Left to right: William Haldeman, chief of staff and assistant commissioner of executive services, New Jersey Department of Education; NJSBA President Don Webster Jr.; Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod, NJSBA executive director; Mark W. Biedron, president, State Board of Education

about-recognitionAs part of School Board Recognition Month, the New Jersey State Board of Education approved a resolution on Jan. 7 that commends the work that the state’s 4,800 local school board members provide to improve the education of nearly 1.4 million school children

NJSBA President Don Webster Jr. accepted the resolution, thanking the State Board for its support for local boards, and noting that, over the years, many State Board members have served on their local boards of education, gaining experience in education at the local level before rising to the state level. An example, noted Webster, is Joseph Fisicaro, current State Board vice president, who served on the Lenape Regional board.

“Local school board members, who serve without compensation, represent the community by ensuring tax dollars are spent wisely, and by setting academic goals for their school districts,” said Webster. “Their work has a positive impact on the classroom.  They’ve helped make New Jersey a national leader in student achievement.”

NJSBA has posted information online to help communities honor their school board members; the School Board Recognition Month resources are available at staging.njsba.org/recognition.

The State Board of Education’s resolution states:

  • WHEREAS, the New Jersey State Board of Education, which adopts the administrative code to implement state education law, has established rigorous standards through its promulgation of the state Core Curriculum Content Standards and its adoption of the Common Core State Standards, both of which set the expectations of academic achievement for nearly 1.4 million public schoolchildren; and
  • WHEREAS, 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; and
  • WHEREAS, New Jersey’s 4,800 non-partisan local board of education members are public servants who dedicate their time, without pay or benefit, to the oversight of school district operations, sound financial practices, comprehensive policies, curriculum, staffing, and the well-being and academic achievement of all students in the district; and
  • WHEREAS, 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; and
  • WHEREAS, the National School Boards Association and the New Jersey School Boards Association have declared January 2015 to be School Board Recognition Month; now, therefore, be it
  • RESOLVED, that the New Jersey State Board of Education recognizes the contributions of our state’s local boards of education to the academic success of its public school students and expresses its sincerest appreciation to local board of education members for their continued focus on the achievement of children throughout New Jersey; and be it further
  • RESOLVED, that the New Jersey State Board of Education encourages qualified New Jersey citizens to consider serving as members on their local school boards.