September is just around the corner and so is another potential bout with the H1N1 virus or better known as swine flu. The biggest question on most people’s mind today with respect to this topic is when a vaccination will be available.
With the opening of schools in a few weeks, many people are concerned with when and how they can get their child vaccinated.
Recent reports released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that schools would be a likely place for the distribution of any type of vaccination. The New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA) feels that the decision of using schools for mass vaccinations should be left up to local officials, and therefore decisions about using schools will vary considerably from community to community. We encourage all school districts to work directly with their municipal and/or county health departments when considering such actions.
The CDC has recently created two very informative booklets that provide guidance to help decrease the spread of flu among students and school staff during the 2009-2010 school year. The first is titled, CDC’s Guidance for State and Local Public Health Officials and School Administrators for School (K-12) Responses to Influenza during the 2009-2010 School Year. The second, Preparing for the Flu: A Communications Toolkit for Schools (Grades K-12), was created to help implement the recommendations made in the first guide.
As a reminder, the New Jersey Department of Education, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, is hosting a summit on August 25, at the South Brunswick High School in Monmouth Junction, to assist school administrators, health officials, and emergency responders in the planning for a statewide pandemic influenza outbreak. Topics that will be addressed include:
-Federal Update
-NJ’s Pandemic Plan
-School Closures
-Continuity of Educational Services
-Promising Practices to Help School Districts
For more information on this summit, please click here.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Thursday, August 13, 2009
H1N1 School-closing Decisions are best made at the Local Level
The New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA) supports the recent recommendations made by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that any decisions to close schools due to a suspected outbreak of swine flu should be left up to local officials, and therefore decisions about school closings can vary considerably from community to community. We encourage all school districts to work directly with their municipal and/or county health departments when considering such actions.
The CDC indicates that closing schools is not recommended unless there is likely to be a high percentage of absenteeism among staff or students.
However, any benefit depends on the circumstances. School closing is an aggressive strategy for slowing the spread of any communicable disease, especially swine flu. Closing schools may help a community contain an outbreak, but less drastic measures may be just as effective. According to the CDC, guidelines for colleges and employers are set to be issued on August 23.
In a recent New York Times article from August 7 titled, Swine Flu Should Not Close Most Schools, Federal Officials Say; Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that some schools “will have to close,” and that administrators should be making plans to continue schooling at home, via telephones and the Internet.
The NJASA agrees with Secretary Duncan’s statement in spirit, however; the implementation of contingency plans may invite a host of unintended consequences.
The New Jersey Department of Education, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, is hosting a summit on August 25, at the South Brunswick High School in Monmouth Junction, to assist school administrators, health officials and emergency responders in the planning for a statewide pandemic influenza outbreak. Topics that will be addressed include:
-Federal Update
-NJ’s Pandemic Plan
-School Closures
-Continuity of Educational Services
-Promising Practices to Help School Districts
For more information on this summit, please click here.
The CDC indicates that closing schools is not recommended unless there is likely to be a high percentage of absenteeism among staff or students.
However, any benefit depends on the circumstances. School closing is an aggressive strategy for slowing the spread of any communicable disease, especially swine flu. Closing schools may help a community contain an outbreak, but less drastic measures may be just as effective. According to the CDC, guidelines for colleges and employers are set to be issued on August 23.
In a recent New York Times article from August 7 titled, Swine Flu Should Not Close Most Schools, Federal Officials Say; Education Secretary Arne Duncan said that some schools “will have to close,” and that administrators should be making plans to continue schooling at home, via telephones and the Internet.
The NJASA agrees with Secretary Duncan’s statement in spirit, however; the implementation of contingency plans may invite a host of unintended consequences.
The New Jersey Department of Education, in collaboration with the New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services, is hosting a summit on August 25, at the South Brunswick High School in Monmouth Junction, to assist school administrators, health officials and emergency responders in the planning for a statewide pandemic influenza outbreak. Topics that will be addressed include:
-Federal Update
-NJ’s Pandemic Plan
-School Closures
-Continuity of Educational Services
-Promising Practices to Help School Districts
For more information on this summit, please click here.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Professional Learning Communities as a Catalyst for Change
Chief Education Officers, charged with Moving Education Forward, are leading in times that are far different from when this millennium began. Change is our consistent companion as we look at our changing world and changing needs of students. Creating and encouraging leaders at every level is one of the ways to really achieve lasting change and improve student achievement.
Designing opportunities for a collaborative culture and shared leadership roles through the development of Professional Learning Communities is the subject of an in-depth Curriculum Corner article in the next issue of NJASA's On Target, newsletter. Titled, Understanding Professional Learning Communities and Key Leadership Actions of the Superintendent, this article will give you some insight into Professional Learning Communities as a catalyst for change. Click here to read the article.
Designing opportunities for a collaborative culture and shared leadership roles through the development of Professional Learning Communities is the subject of an in-depth Curriculum Corner article in the next issue of NJASA's On Target, newsletter. Titled, Understanding Professional Learning Communities and Key Leadership Actions of the Superintendent, this article will give you some insight into Professional Learning Communities as a catalyst for change. Click here to read the article.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
The NJASA Leadership Team Works Harder to Make it Happen for Education
(left to right top row) NJASA Executive Director Richard G. Bozza, Ed.D.; NJASA Secretary Andrew Rinko, Ed.D., Superintendent, Bedminster; and NJASA Treasurer Donna B. Van Horn, Ed.D., Chief School Administrator, Weymouth Twp.; (left to right front row) NJASA President Douglas B. Groff, Superintendent, Galloway Twp.; NJASA President-Elect Judith Ann Rattner, Superintendent, Berkeley Heights; and NJASA Past President Kenneth D. King, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent, East Orange
NJASA Treasurer Donna B. Van Horn, Ed.D., Chief School Administrator, Weymouth Twp.;
NJASA Past President Kenneth D. King, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent, East Orange; and
NJASA Executive Director Richard G. Bozza, Ed.D.
The NJASA Leadership Team, as the elected representatives of the NJASA membership, will support the common goal of improving the high quality of education that New Jersey’s children receive and will demonstrate determination and resourcefulness in their efforts as they work harder to move education forward through instructional leadership.
The New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA) is an organization of professional educational leaders dedicated to the advocacy of school children in the Garden State. NJASA represents 593 operating school districts in New Jersey’s 21 counties. The Association’s membership includes: Chief Education Officers – who are the districts’ superintendents running one of the biggest organizations in town, 24-hours a day, seven days a week – and school administrators.
NJASA is pleased to introduce the members of the Association’s 2009-2010 Leadership Team. They are:
NJASA President Douglas B. Groff, Superintendent, Galloway Twp.;
Groff, an exceptional professional, was instrumental in the implementation of a full-day kindergarten program in the Galloway Twp. Public Schools.
NJASA President-Elect Judith Ann Rattner, Superintendent, Berkeley Heights;
Rattner, an experienced field superintendent, put into action an array of innovative curriculum programs in the Berkeley Heights District.
NJASA Secretary Andrew Rinko, Ed.D., Superintendent, Bedminster;
Rinko is a results-oriented school leader and prides himself on a remarkable record of improving student achievement in the Bedminster District.
NJASA Treasurer Donna B. Van Horn, Ed.D., Chief School Administrator, Weymouth Twp.;
Van Horn, a Lehigh University graduate, has successfully secured more than 25 grant awards, including the very competitive Technology for Teaching Grant from Hewlett-Packard, for the Weymouth Twp. School District.
NJASA Past President Kenneth D. King, Ed.D., Assistant Superintendent, East Orange; and
King, an Eagle Scout, implemented a new automated substitute teacher system to improve the learning environment for the students of the East Orange Public Schools.
NJASA Executive Director Richard G. Bozza, Ed.D.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Connect with the NJASA on Facebook and LinkedIn
The NJASA is pleased to announce that we are now on both Facebook and LinkedIn.
We have created Facebook and LinkedIn group pages to better represent and serve our organization. Both social media outlets will allow group members to view our media content, exchange thoughts, and comment on a variety of topics relating to chief education officers and education, just to name a few.
With the explosion of social networking on the Internet, it’s important that the NJASA address the communication preferences of its members and adopt technologies, services, and applications that they use to connect and share information – this is our way of moving education forward.
The prominence of sites like Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube has given us the ability to introduce our organization in new format to the media, elected officials, and public.
You will need to have a Facebook account to view the NJASA Facebook page and a LinkedIn profile to participate in the NJASA LinkedIn group. To get started, simply click on the links below and follow the prompts.
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=1994005
http://www.facebook.com/r.php?page_id=99599986174&r=111&locale=en_US
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
New Jersey’s Budget - Reasons to be Pessimistic
On Monday, Governor Jon Corzine signed his $29 billion state budget that lays out how the state will spend taxpayer dollars over the next year. The budget leaves many to question the future of our state, especially the fiscal footing of the education community. Press reports place the structural deficit for the following year’s budget at $6 to $10 billion due to the non-recurring revenues contained in the newly adopted budget.
Not all was washed with the Governor’s budget; the NJASA is pleased to see that there will be an increase of $374 million in direct aid for K-12 school districts - $74 million more than proposed during the Governor’s March budget address.
However, the NJASA is disappointed that many districts scheduled to receive up to a 20% increase in aid under the new funding formula were capped at 5%. Also disappointing is the cut of direct state aid in the amount of $31million to New Jersey’s municipalities. This is a 2% decrease from last year’s spending levels – 2% that now needs to be addressed by local communities and their taxpayers.
Nothing has changed from the Governor’s State-of-the-State address with his use of the public pension system as a vehicle to control the state’s run-away expenses – he did so by deferring $940 million in pension payments, with $560 million being directly related to school employee pensions.
The NJASA has been strongly opposed to this type of shell game, a maneuver that has been passed down from other administrations. As we stated previously, the pension payment deficit is nothing more than a near-sighted solution to a far-sighted problem.
We are pleased to see the use of federal monies from the stimulus package being utilized to stabilize education funding. Yes, we recognize that this is a one-time solution that was necessary to prevent large local tax increases or much deeper cuts in school board budgets. We remain hopeful that the state and national economies recover sufficiently during the upcoming year to generate the needed state income to fully support the schools funding formula.
The leadership of NJASA will continue to work with our elected officials to assist them with creating and implementing sound education policy that will lead to an effective and efficient system of New Jersey public schools.
Not all was washed with the Governor’s budget; the NJASA is pleased to see that there will be an increase of $374 million in direct aid for K-12 school districts - $74 million more than proposed during the Governor’s March budget address.
However, the NJASA is disappointed that many districts scheduled to receive up to a 20% increase in aid under the new funding formula were capped at 5%. Also disappointing is the cut of direct state aid in the amount of $31million to New Jersey’s municipalities. This is a 2% decrease from last year’s spending levels – 2% that now needs to be addressed by local communities and their taxpayers.
Nothing has changed from the Governor’s State-of-the-State address with his use of the public pension system as a vehicle to control the state’s run-away expenses – he did so by deferring $940 million in pension payments, with $560 million being directly related to school employee pensions.
The NJASA has been strongly opposed to this type of shell game, a maneuver that has been passed down from other administrations. As we stated previously, the pension payment deficit is nothing more than a near-sighted solution to a far-sighted problem.
We are pleased to see the use of federal monies from the stimulus package being utilized to stabilize education funding. Yes, we recognize that this is a one-time solution that was necessary to prevent large local tax increases or much deeper cuts in school board budgets. We remain hopeful that the state and national economies recover sufficiently during the upcoming year to generate the needed state income to fully support the schools funding formula.
The leadership of NJASA will continue to work with our elected officials to assist them with creating and implementing sound education policy that will lead to an effective and efficient system of New Jersey public schools.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
It’s all about Moving Education Forward
The most important challenge we face in public education today is to improve high schools so that all New Jersey students graduate prepared to succeed in either college or the workplace. We can no longer ignore the fact that too few of our young people graduate from high school ready for today’s competitive economy and complex society.
The New Jersey Association of School Administrators has been in the forefront on the issue of high school redesign for some time now. Over the past few years the NJASA’s Curriculum and Instruction Committee, as well as individual members, have met to discuss a new approach to high school redesign. The NJASA Curriculum and Instruction Committee published a paper titled, “New Jersey Department of Education High School Reform Initiative, Issues, Responses, and Recommendations.” NJASA representatives have also served on the New Jersey High School Redesign Steering Committee. The Committee, in April 2008, presented its recommendations in a policy paper titled, “NJ STEPS: Re-Designing Education in New Jersey for the 21st Century.”
Last week, the New Jersey State Board of Education voted in the affirmative to raise the requirements for earning a high school diploma in New Jersey by phasing in more challenging academic standards over the next seven years (2016). The new policy will employ more challenging math, science and language arts subject tests for high school students.
Ensuring that students meet the new standards is a tough challenge, but not an insurmountable one. It's about high expectations and getting New Jersey's students ready to compete nationally and globally. Educators have long recognized that most students can and will succeed when faced with vigorous academic challenges. We ask nothing of them that they cannot accomplish with the right amount of instruction and inspiration.
Even with optimism about student preparation surrounding the new requirements, there are concerns expressed by NJASA members over their adoption. Many fear that new policies will drop the graduation rate and even push low-performing students out of school. Others voice concern that individual subject assessments will promote isolated content learning, not the integrated curricular approach best suited to prepare students for the 21st century workplace. Still others note that school systems will require greater resources to provide students who are struggling or behind with the necessary support to master the more challenging curriculum.
College is still beyond the reach of almost one-third of all high school students. Today, all of our students need the skills and knowledge contained in the curriculum that was once reserved only for the college-bound. Strong communications skills, knowledge of foreign language and culture, higher-level math and problem-solving skills are needed in technical trades, as well as white-collar professions. The job of K-12 education in New Jersey must be to ensure that all of our students graduate with the ability to fulfill their potential – whether that takes them to higher education or directly to their career.
Educating our students is not an option – it's a mandate if New Jersey is going to continue to compete in an increasingly global world. NJASA members will continue to provide the necessary leadership in addressing the opportunities and challenges which the new standards present for New Jersey educators.
The New Jersey Association of School Administrators has been in the forefront on the issue of high school redesign for some time now. Over the past few years the NJASA’s Curriculum and Instruction Committee, as well as individual members, have met to discuss a new approach to high school redesign. The NJASA Curriculum and Instruction Committee published a paper titled, “New Jersey Department of Education High School Reform Initiative, Issues, Responses, and Recommendations.” NJASA representatives have also served on the New Jersey High School Redesign Steering Committee. The Committee, in April 2008, presented its recommendations in a policy paper titled, “NJ STEPS: Re-Designing Education in New Jersey for the 21st Century.”
Last week, the New Jersey State Board of Education voted in the affirmative to raise the requirements for earning a high school diploma in New Jersey by phasing in more challenging academic standards over the next seven years (2016). The new policy will employ more challenging math, science and language arts subject tests for high school students.
Ensuring that students meet the new standards is a tough challenge, but not an insurmountable one. It's about high expectations and getting New Jersey's students ready to compete nationally and globally. Educators have long recognized that most students can and will succeed when faced with vigorous academic challenges. We ask nothing of them that they cannot accomplish with the right amount of instruction and inspiration.
Even with optimism about student preparation surrounding the new requirements, there are concerns expressed by NJASA members over their adoption. Many fear that new policies will drop the graduation rate and even push low-performing students out of school. Others voice concern that individual subject assessments will promote isolated content learning, not the integrated curricular approach best suited to prepare students for the 21st century workplace. Still others note that school systems will require greater resources to provide students who are struggling or behind with the necessary support to master the more challenging curriculum.
College is still beyond the reach of almost one-third of all high school students. Today, all of our students need the skills and knowledge contained in the curriculum that was once reserved only for the college-bound. Strong communications skills, knowledge of foreign language and culture, higher-level math and problem-solving skills are needed in technical trades, as well as white-collar professions. The job of K-12 education in New Jersey must be to ensure that all of our students graduate with the ability to fulfill their potential – whether that takes them to higher education or directly to their career.
Educating our students is not an option – it's a mandate if New Jersey is going to continue to compete in an increasingly global world. NJASA members will continue to provide the necessary leadership in addressing the opportunities and challenges which the new standards present for New Jersey educators.
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