Moving Education Forward in 2009

It’s often customary when the calendar year comes to a close for everyone to reflect on the year that is ending while also looking forward to the promise of the year ahead. 2008 certainly had its challenges for many New Jersey school districts and educational leaders, including Chief Education Officers. Even though 2009 promises change, many of the educational challenges posed in 2008, including school funding and expenditures, will remain.

As the new year begins, the goal remains the same – creating the best possible learning environment for our school children. The New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA) has taken as part of its mission to best prepare its members for 2009 and the years ahead. Our first Superintendents Summit in late October created a forum for members to discuss the challenges they face in providing effective leadership, as well as approaches and best practices to overcome those challenges.

NJASA will sponsor Techspo 2009 in late January in Atlantic City. The annual statewide technology exhibition and training conference for school leaders will help those who attend learn methods to most effectively utilize technology in order to teach our school children. We will discuss how educational technology can improve academic achievement, the best tools to use, and establish a dialogue as to how technology can be used to benefit New Jersey school districts and students.

Educating our children has always been paramount with New Jersey’s Chief Education Officers. That will continue to be the main goal of superintendents and school administrators in 2009. Looking back on some key events of 2008, creating forums such as the Superintendents Summit, and continuing to sponsor exhibitions such as Techspo will prepare our members to move education forward in 2009 by providing the best environment for New Jersey school children.