At its September meeting, the New Jersey State Board of Education took action and heard updates on numerous items.
State Board Welcomes Newest Member President Kathy Goldenberg welcomed Ahmed Shehata as the newest member of the State Board. Shehata has worked as assistant superintendent and as the business/board secretary for Clifton Public Schools for the past year, and previously served as the district’s assistant business administrator/board secretary from 2021-2023. Prior to his career in education, he worked for Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey.
He earned a Master of Business Administration in data analytics from Seton Hall Stillman School of Business in 2023; a Master of Public Administration from Rutgers University School of Public Affairs and Administration in 2018; and a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice/political science from Rutgers University in 2016. He was a delegate to the Muslim Student Delegate at the Student Conference on U.S. Affairs in West Point in 2015.
Shehata received a certificate in American politics and public policy from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers in 2016, and currently serves as an alumni committee member for the Eagleton Institute of Politics. He has also served as a member of the National Society of Collegiate Scholars since 2014.
A member of the Linden Board of Education from 2018 to 2021, Shehata also has served as a board member of the Union County Improvement Authority since 2020.
“Ahmed Shehata’s unique blend of experience as both a local board member and central office administrator equips him with the comprehensive perspective needed to drive meaningful educational progress,” said Dr. Timothy Purnell, executive director and CEO of the New Jersey School Boards Association. “I am confident he’ll be an excellent addition to the New Jersey State Board of Education.”
Resolution Accepting Donated Funds The State Board formally accepted funds to help support programming at the Marie H Katzenbach School for the Deaf. The board accepted $20,500 for student activity funds, which are for the sole use of supporting student activities such as field trips, yearbooks, and student clubs.
Updated Public Testimony Procedures The State Board passed a resolution to update its public testimony procedures. Previously, all public testimony sessions began at 2 p.m. after the regularly scheduled meeting. The adopted resolution now requires that the public testimony session begin 30 minutes after the close of the regular meeting. While there was concern that this change might inhibit public participation, the State Board anticipates, based on its experience with the current model, that the changes will promote greater public participation and will not result in uncertainty. For the volunteer members of the State Board of Education who will be listening to public testimony and the members of the public who attend the business meeting and are registered to testify, the State Board approved starting public testimony 30 minutes after the conclusion of the public business meeting. The board made no changes to its procedures for accepting written testimony.
Appointments to the State Board of Examiners The State Board made appointments and reappointments to the State Board of Examiners. The board of examiners is responsible for issuing, revoking and suspending educational certificates. The appointments and reappointments to the board are:
Reappointments
- Derek Jess, school business administrator, Summit School District.
- Kristen Ludman, teacher, Pemberton School District.
- Dayna Desiderio Orlak, teacher, Waldwick School District.
- Melissa Pearce, Interim executive county superintendent, Hudson County Office of Education.
- Dr. Thelma Ramsey, elementary principal, East Orange School District.
New Appointments
- Dr. Jorden Schiff, assistant commissioner, New Jersey Department of Education’s Division of Teaching and Learning Services
- Robert Ford, superintendent Type II, Somerdale Park School District.
- Michelle McGreivey, librarian, Hoboken School District.
- Kevin Pfister, high school principal, Hawthorne School District.
- Dr. Carmela Somershoe, superintendent Type I, Ventnor School District.
- Gargi Adhikari, teacher, Readington Township School District.
Interdistrict Public School Choice The State Board adopted updated regulations concerning the Interdistrict Public School Choice Program. The proposed amendments are intended to clarify issues and questions raised by choice districts and parents. Additional amendments will implement a Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division decision that required the department to enumerate the requirements for its review and approval of a sending district seeking to restrict student participation in the choice program. The proposed amendments also streamline and consolidate language for clarity and alignment with the statute and align the regulations with revisions to P.L. 2023, c. 61, which requires payment of tuition for nonresident students, among other changes.
Changes to NJQSAC The board proposed changes to the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum. The amendments streamline and clarify rules, procedures, and operations and update terminology and rules to align to provisions throughout Title 6A of the New Jersey Administrative Code and Title 18A of the New Jersey Statutes, and remove gendered nouns and pronouns throughout the chapter. Proposed amendments at Appendices A and B will redistribute points to equitably apply the department’s evaluation of the performance of all school districts to which the chapter applies, regardless of configuration. Other proposed amendments at Appendices A and B will redistribute points to provide greater weight for indicators of more significance across the five key component areas of school district effectiveness. The proposed amendments at Appendices A and B have been developed with extensive input from stakeholders to create a monitoring tool that focuses on teaching and learning and preparing students to be college and career ready. The department proposes to delay the effective date of the proposed amendments to Appendices A and B until July 1, 2025. Therefore, the department will use the existing District Performance Review indicators through the 2024-2025 school year.