Before taking office, newly elected and newly appointed school board members must undergo a criminal history record review. These background checks, overseen by the New Jersey Department of Education, are the same as those administered to new school employees. In Episode 5 of “Ten Things Every School Board Candidate Should Know before Taking Office,” Ray Pinney, host of NJSBA’s Education Matters, discusses the criminal background check process and procedures with Carl Tanksley, NJSBA counsel. The Ten Things Every School Board Candidate Should Know Before Taking Office Episode 1: Conflicts of Interest Episode 2: The Sunshine Law (Open Public Meetings Act) Episode 3: The Oath of Office—What It Means Episode 4: Training Requirements for School Board Members Episode 5: Criminal Background Checks

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The New Jersey School Boards Association produced this ten-part video series to help prospective school board members understand the requirements of the office. Future segments of The Ten Things Every School Board Candidate Should Know will address collective bargaining, ethics, and the paperwork that must be completed to serve on a school board. November 3, 2016