I am a firm believer in the value of setting goals. The process tends to clarify what is important, provides motivation for getting things done and a gratifying sense of achievement once a goal is accomplished.
Last year, I shared what my goals were for my two-year term as NJSBA’s president. I am pleased to report that there has been great progress. My goal of attending, in person, a meeting of all 21 county school boards associations with the message to learn, network and eat and the recommendation to bring someone new, has provided me with wonderful opportunities to network with board members throughout the state. I have attended meetings of 20 counties in person. I will fully complete this goal in October with my visit to Cape May.
My second goal involved helping the Association refocus on the fundamentals of service to board of education members with a Back to Basics emphasis. Among other initiatives, NJSBA has added staff in important member service areas, including field service, legal and policy, and is revamping mandated training to better meet board member needs.
My third goal was one that was enjoyable: Celebrate NJSBA. Everywhere I go, I tell people about the wide-ranging resources, training, cost-saving opportunities and support services available from NJSBA. It is a delightful task.
For this academic year, I added some new goals to my list. It’s hard to believe that next June will mark three years that Dr. Timothy Purnell has been executive director, but it is true. I am pleased to report that my goal to negotiate the successor contract to his employment agreement has been accomplished and the NJSBA board of directors voted to renew his contract at the Sept. 20 meeting.
I also want to facilitate more sharing of successful school district equity practices among members — perhaps through a special “Equity Expo” program. I firmly believe that we have a responsibility to all children in our schools, and I know our districts want to learn about best practices in this area.
Last year, we had a successful women’s leadership program; this year, I want to see NJSBA keep the momentum going by partnering with other professional groups to expand on this training — perhaps at Workshop 2025.
A longtime desire of mine has been to see NJSBA update some of its special research reports. These papers are valuable resources, and they should be “living documents.” I am looking forward to the December completion of an update on the report on educational opportunities for career-focused learners.
I believe it is important to increase board member engagement and opportunities for board members to serve. Recently, we have approved the appointment of board members to represent NJSBA by serving on a handful of state and federal level committees. We look forward to involving even more members in the future, and plan to create more transparency in the committee invitation process.
