ELFNJ Spotlight: 100 Attend New Board Member Orientation in Princeton

At the Princeton Marriott from Feb. 21 through Feb. 23, about 100 recently elected board members underwent intensive training to learn how to effectively fulfill their responsibilities.

NJSBA Executive Director Dr. Lawrence S. Feinsod praised the energy and enthusiasm of the new board members. It was the first of two training sessions that were scheduled this year. The March weekend program was postponed, due to the COVID-19 epidemic. NJSBA hopes to reschedule it for late spring or summer.

“The participants in this year’s New Board Member Orientation showed a high level of energy, coupled with a determination to serve our 1.4 million public school students,” Feinsod said.

“We thank the Educational Testing Service, which fully funded the February orientation, as well as the NJSBA staff for their hard work in developing the training program,” Feinsod added. “Kudos to our group leaders, the seasoned school board members who are the heart and soul of the weekend. They are certainly models of effective board leadership in every sense of the term.”

Multiple Aspects of School Safety with Eastern DataComm On January 16, 2020, ELFNJ & Eastern DataComm sponsored “Guide to Safer Schools in New Jersey”, an in-depth training session on multiple aspects of school safety presented by New Jersey school safety experts, and school administrators. The program took place at Rutgers Continuing Education Center and focused on practical and effective best practice procedures for responding to school security issues.

SESSIONS INCLUDED:

• Leadership: How to effectively lead your district to create a culture of safety in your schools
• Policies and Procedures: Best practices regarding procedures for responding to active shooter events
• Technology: How to use existing technology infrastructure to improve school safety and the three principles to follow when purchasing emergency notification solutions.
• Alyssa’s Law: What Alyssa’s Law really says, its intentions, and the implications of this law on New Jersey school districts.

The no-cost program was open to all public school leaders and district staff interested in learning more about school safety.