15266 May 06 OnTarget - NJASA · masay@s cience.edu Adams Stern Gutierrez & Lattiboudere LLC SCHOOL...
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A PUBLICATION OF THE NEW JERSEY ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS O O O N TARGET April/May 2011 Christie’s Administration Would Benefit from Patience Lessons Learned on the Leadership Journey Visiting NJASA Allied Members Seven Great Reasons to Attend Spring Conference Register for Spring Conference Climbing the Educational Mountains 2 3 4 5 7 8 A high level of concern dominated the con- structive dialogues between New Jersey’s chief education officers and school leaders at the recent NJASA Annual Representative Assembly in the Jackson Liberty High School. The two featured speakers – New Jersey’s Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf and the Assembly Education Committee Chair Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D-18), issued “A Call to Action” to the members of New Jersey’s educational community. The Acting Education Commissioner, the first keynote speaker, encouraged the audience to inform him if something is broken and to offer suggestions of how to correct the problem. During his 45-minute presentation, he pro- vided a state perspective of the Governor’s on-going efforts to implement his educational reform agenda. He acknowledged, as a state, we must publicly celebrate the number of successes that are occurring in our schools. However, he was quick to note, we also need to discuss the challenges we face, and posed the questions – “How much are we doing right? What does success mean?” In his opening remarks, Assembly Education Committee Chair Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D- 18), acknowledged we are in a dishearten- ing environment and we need to get the train back on track. He questioned the view of how could New Jersey have gone from one of the best educa- tional systems in the nation to something so flawed within 15 months. Other topics discussed with Assemblyman Diegnan were merit pay, health benefits, pen- sion reform, education funding and salary caps. NJASA Representative Assembly Yields “A Call to Action” At the NJASA Annual Representative Assembly, smiles and pleasantries were – out. Somber expressions and anxieties were – in. From left, NJASA Past President Douglas Groff, Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, NJASA President Judith Rattner, and NJASA President-Elect Andrew Rinko Welcoming the Keynote Speakers: Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf and Assembly Education Committee Chair Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. From left, Assembly Education Committee Chair Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D- 18), NJASA Secretary Donna Van Horn, NJASA Treasurer Gary McCartney, and NJASA Executive Director Richard Bozza
Transcript of 15266 May 06 OnTarget - NJASA · masay@s cience.edu Adams Stern Gutierrez & Lattiboudere LLC SCHOOL...
A PUBLICATION OF THE NEW JERSEY ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS
OOOONN TTAARRGGEETTApril/May
2011
Christie’sAdministrationWould Benefitfrom Patience
Lessons Learned on theLeadershipJourney
VisitingNJASA Allied
Members
Seven GreatReasons toAttend SpringConference
Register forSpring
Conference
Climbing theEducationalMountains
2
3
4
5
7
8
A high level of concern dominated the con-structive dialogues between New Jersey’s chiefeducation officers and school leaders at therecent NJASA Annual Representative Assemblyin the Jackson Liberty High School.
The two featured speakers – New Jersey’sActing Education Commissioner Chris Cerfand the Assembly Education Committee ChairPatrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D-18), issued “A Callto Action” to the members of New Jersey’s educational community.
The Acting Education Commissioner, the firstkeynote speaker, encouraged the audience to
inform him if something is broken and to offersuggestions of how to correct the problem.During his 45-minute presentation, he pro-vided a state perspective of the Governor’s on-going efforts to implement his educationalreform agenda. He acknowledged, as a state,we must publicly celebrate the number of successes that are occurring in our schools.However, he was quick to note, we also need to discuss the challenges we face, and posed thequestions – “How much are we doing right?What does success mean?”
In his opening remarks, Assembly EducationCommittee Chair Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D- 18), acknowledged we are in a dishearten-ing environment and we need to get the trainback on track.
He questioned the view of how could NewJersey have gone from one of the best educa-tional systems in the nation to something soflawed within 15 months.
Other topics discussed with AssemblymanDiegnan were merit pay, health benefits, pen-sion reform, education funding and salary caps.
NJASA Representative Assembly Yields “A Call to Action”
At the NJASA Annual Representative Assembly, smilesand pleasantries were – out. Somber expressions andanxieties were – in.
From left, NJASA Past President Douglas Groff, ActingEducation Commissioner Chris Cerf, NJASA PresidentJudith Rattner, and NJASA President-Elect AndrewRinko
Welcoming the Keynote Speakers: Acting Education Commissioner Chris Cerf andAssembly Education Committee Chair Patrick J. Diegnan, Jr.
From left, Assembly Education Committee ChairPatrick J. Diegnan, Jr. (D- 18), NJASA SecretaryDonna Van Horn, NJASA Treasurer Gary McCartney,and NJASA Executive Director Richard Bozza
ON TARGET • Page 2
EXECUTIVEVIEW
by Dr. Richard G. Bozza, NJASA Executive Director
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School district tenure and its impact on public education in New Jersey, as presented by thecurrent Administration at an April 13th State House press conference, dominated the openforum discussion of the NJASA April 14th Executive Committee Meeting.
NJASA believes the Governor’s reform agenda for tenure reform is well-intended and muchdeserves to be supported. It does, however, contain significant flaws.
NJASA supports the use of student outcomes in assessing the performance of educators butrecognizes that the current methods to do so are unreliable, often misidentifying those whoare the most effective in their work. Currently, the federal government is spending billions ofdollars in the Race to the Top Program to assist all states to implement effective programs ofstudent assessment and practices which attract, develop, retain and reward effective educa-tors.
The Christie Administration would benefit from patience to better use that research indeveloping its program, especially since the work of only a small minority of teachers can belinked to current testing. NJASA looks forward to the discussion on how compensation willbe based on performance, not just length of service.
NJASA does not support the proposal that poor performing teachers should be maintainedon the payroll for a year if the teacher and principal do not consent to the placement. Thisproposal would remove the ability of the superintendent and school board to examine dis-trict needs and staff assignments, not just that of the individual school. Indeed, the removalprocess for a tenured employee who performs poorly must be streamlined and made to workefficiently.
NJASA supports tenure reform, but believes that the probationary period should be extend-ed to five years and that it should be subject to renewal every five years thereafter based oneffective performance and professional growth.
NJASA encourages reform initiatives to encourage practices implemented in the countrieswhere students perform the highest of all nations, including establishing high initial entryrequirements to teaching, support for teachers in training, and ongoing support for educa-tors once they are in the field.
Christie’s Administration Would Benefit from Patience
MISSION STATEMENT
The mission of NJASA, the unifying professional association of school leaders, is to ensure a superior statewide sys-tem of education by influencing and effecting educational policy, regulations and legislation; and by maximizingthe capacity and effectiveness of school leaders through professional development programs and support services.
ON TARGET • Page 3
As President of NJASA, I had the privilege of welcoming andparticipating with several current women superintendentsand aspiring school leaders at the NJASA Women’s FutureLeadership Forum on March 22, 2011. This program,designed by NJASA Director of Professional DevelopmentLinda A. Martensen and sponsored by Pearson DigitalLearning, addressed the 2011 Women’s History Month’snational theme, “Our History is Our Strength.”
This celebration of the 2011 National Women’s HistoryMonth by the NJASA Women’s Caucus is testimony to theCaucus’ goal of promoting, encouraging, supporting andconnecting women in educational leadership positions withwomen who aspire to those roles.
In the morning session, an impressive panel* of women leadersfrom educational and corporate settings shared their personalleadership journey of successes and obstacles along with lessonsthey learned.
A broad spectrum of issues related to women in the work-force dominated the energetic and enthusiastic question andanswer period that followed the panelists’ presentations.
During the afternoon breakout sessions, the aspiring schoolleaders had the unique opportunity to meet with currentwomen superintendents. This format provided a one-on-onedialogue to acquire first-hand knowledge of the lessonswomen superintendents learned in their careers and gaveaspiring leaders a chance to ask candid questions. The lessonslearned from the careers of the current women superintend-
ents demonstrated the demand for top-notch leadership skillsthat require critical thinking and problem-solving. The paneldiscussion was facilitated by Elaine P. Davis of the NJDOEOffice of Leadership Development.
Underscoring the importance of lessons learned on the leader-ship journey, the forum drew over 50 undergraduate andgraduate women enrolled in leadership programs, as well aswomen who are current school superintendents. The universi-ties represented included: Princeton University, MontclairState University, The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey, Kean University, William Paterson University, RowanUniversity, and Seton Hall University.
I am pleased to tell you the NJASA Women’s Caucus willcontinue to support, encourage and connect a network ofwomen in New Jersey educational leadership positions.
*Panelists:Dr. Judith Ferguson, Former Superintendent and SearchConsultant, Hazard, Attea and Young.
Michelle Y. Lee, Executive VP, Wachovia and RegionPresident for Northeast Community Banking, Wells Fargo.
Linda A. Martensen, Former Superintendent and Director ofProfessional Development, NJASA.
Bernadette Mitchell, VP, AXA-Equitable.
Judith Ann Rattner, Superintendent, Berkeley Heights PublicSchools and President, NJASA.
Muriel F. Siebert, “The First Woman on Wall Street,” andFounder and President, Muriel F. Siebert and Co.
PRESIDENT’SMESSAGE
by Judith Ann RattnerNJASA President 2010-2011
ADAMS STERN GUTIERREZ & LATTIBOUDERE, LLC
Philip E. SternAttorney at Law
The Legal Center1037 Raymond Blvd., Suite 710Newark, NJ 07102Main 973-735-2742Fax [email protected]
A Minority and Women-Owned law firm helping New Jersey school districts achievetheir highest goals.
Lessons Learned on the Leadership Journey
ON TARGET • Page 4
Meet the NJASA Allied MembersIf you are looking for school necessities or services, etc., please check this partial listing, as well as in the Allied Members section of the NJASAMembership Directory and Buying Guide, for the names of those suppliers who are part of our organization.
Acellus Learning System-Intl.Academy of Science
ACELLUS IS A COMPUTER-BASEDINTERACTIVE LEARNING
SYSTEM26900 E. Pink Hill Road
Independence, MO 64057Marti Asay
Adams Stern Gutierrez &Lattiboudere LLC
SCHOOL BOARD & LABOR LAW/LEGAL SERVICES
1037 Raymond Blvd., Suite 710Newark, NJ 07102
Philip Stern973-735-2742
Avaya Inc.INTELLIGENT
COMMUNICATIONS211 Mt. Airy Road
Basking Ridge, NJ 07920Tony Anderson407-443-6634
Budgetext CorporationBUYING, SELLING & RECYCLING
BOOKS FOR SCHOOLSSINCE 1967PO Box 1487
Fayetteville, AR 72702Brian Kinky
Carousel IndustriesCAROUSEL INDUSTRIES IS A
LEADING SYSTEMS INTEGRATOR659 South County Trail
Exeter, RI 02822Laura Spehar800-401-0760
CompassLearningCOMPASSLEARNING CREATES
CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENTSOLUTIONS203 Colorado
Austin, TX 78701Jeannine DePaul-Nelson
EI AssociatesARCHITECTS/ENGINEERS/
PLANNERS/DESIGNERS8 Ridgedale Avenue
Cedar Knolls, NJ 07927Joseph Donnelly973-775-7777
Follett Software CompanyK12 RESOURCE MANAGEMENT,
DATA WAREHOUSING,DIGITAL LRNG ENVT1391 Corporate DriveMcHenry, IL 60050
Laura Welter815-578-7357
Infinite CampusSTUDENT INFORMATION
SYSTEM70 Suffolk Court
Hauppauge, NY 11788Henry Miller610-727-3963
JEM AssociatesFOOD SERVICE DESIGN
CONSULTANT833 Mill Road, Suite 1Pleasantville, NJ 08232
John Egnor609-645-2222
LenovoPERSONAL COMPUTERS
AND SERVICES1009 Think Place
Morrisville, NC 27560Neil Estevez
www.lenovo.com
Management Information GroupSCHOOLLOGIC IS A COMPLETE
WEB SOLUTION FOR YOURSTUDENT MGMT. NEEDS
P.O. Box 845Moosup, CT 06354
Sandy Ruzanski781-962-1996
Meru NetworksWIRELESS LANS/WI-FI/802.11n/
LOCATION SERVICES131 Magnolia AvenueTenafly, NJ 07670
Al Rocco201-227-1941
MRA International Inc.COMPUTER SOFTWARE/TECHNOLOGY SVCS/
HP AUTHORIZED RESELLER295 Morris Avenue, Suite 101
Long Branch, NJ 07740Bruno Tirone732-222-0997
NJ Smart Start BuildingsFINANCIAL INCENTIVES FOR
ENERGY EFFICIENCYTECHNOLOGIES
900 Route 9 North, Suite 404Woodbridge, NJ 07095
www.njcleanenergy.com/ssb
PearsonEDUCATIONALSOFTWARE K-12
3075 W. Ray Rd., Ste. 200, MS 240Chandler, AZ 85226
Mary Ellen Pilch908-616-9607
Performance Matters LLCDATA MANAGEMENT FOR
SCHOOL DISTRICTS1160 Lee Road
Winter Park, FL 32789Woody Dillatta407-645-1800
Riverside PublishingPINPOINT & DATADIRECTOR:
TOMORROW’S TOOLS,TODAY’S SUCCESS
3800 Golf Road, Suite 200Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Kelley Kirchberg202-297-8947
Scholastic Inc.EDUCATION INSTRUCTIONAL
MATERIAL ANDTECHNOLOGY100 Plaza Drive
Secaucus, NJ 07094Susan Salmon Fad856-905-5657
School Energy Solutions LLCPERFORMANCE BASED ENERGYEFFICIENCY & ENERGY MGMT
SERVICES305 Palmer Road
Denville, NJ 07834Patrick O’Neill973-202-6637
patrick@forenergysolutions.comwww.newjerseyschoolenergysolutions.com
School SpecialtyEDUCATIONAL SUPPLIES/
TEACHING AIDS/FURNITURE/EQUIPMENT
W6316 Design DriveGreenville, WI 54942
Greg Harbaugh800-631-9313
Spiezle Architectural Group Inc.A RECOGNIZED LEADER IN
SCHOOL DESIGNS ANDSUSTAINABLE DESIGN
120 Sanhican DriveTrenton, NJ 08618
Scott R. Spiezle609-695-7400
T & M AssociatesENGINEERS-SITE DESIGN,ENVIRONMENTAL, HVAC,
MEP, STRUCTURAL1256 North Church StreetMoorestown, NJ 08057
Mark Neisser856-722-6700
Virtual High School GlobalConsortium
ONLINE LEARNING/EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
4 Clock Tower Place, Suite 510Maynard, MA 01754
Dana Koch978-450-0430
Xtel CommunicationsVoIP, VOICE INTERNET, DATA,
AND MANAGED SERVICESPROVIDER
401 Route 73 N., Bldg 10, Suite106Marlton, NJ 08053
ON TARGET • Page 5
Seven Great Reasons to AttendNJASA/NJSBA 29th Annual Spring Conference
“Together With Purpose: Confirming the Value of Public Education”May 23-24, 2011 – Ocean Place, Long Branch, New Jersey
Dr. Perry J. MartiniCoach HermanBoone
1. Monday's Keynote Speaker – Coach Herman Boone2. Tuesday's Keynote Speaker – Dr. Perry J. Martini3. 28 "Hot Topic" Breakout Sessions4. School Leaders can complete hours of required professional development
training toward the July 1, 2013 completion date for P.L. 2007, Chapter 53 (originally Assembly bill A-5)
5. Women in Leadership Initiative: Accelerate Learning – An Introduction to Brain Fitness6. 55+ NJASA Allied Member Exhibits
7. Flexibility and value of attending the day of your choice or you canregister for both days at a reduced rate.
Monday, May 23, 2011Conference Registration 8:30 am – 5:30 pmRefreshments 8:30 am – 10:00 amGroup Sessions will occur 10:00 am – 11:15 amduring the day at: 1:15 pm – 2:30 pm
2:45 pm – 4:00 pmOpening General Session 11:30 am – 1:00 pmKeynote Speaker: Coach Herman BooneFollowed by Special Awards Presentations:
• Superintendent of the Year • Distinguished Service Award• NJASA Emeritus Membership Recognition • NJASA Special
Retiree Recognition • Anti-Defamation League Award
Women in Leadership Initiative 1:15 pm – 4:00 pmAccelerate Learning: An Introduction to Brain FitnessPresented by Sherrelle WalkerBrain Fitness is a hot topic today but what does it really mean for ourstudents and schools? Through neuroscience research, we know thatthe challenge for struggling learners is not solved by just providingbetter content but also by improving the underlying cognitive skillsthat build brain capacity. Come learn how to accelerate the learningprocess in just a matter of weeks!
Exhibitor Registration 2:00 pm – 4:30 pm
NJASA Legislative Committee Meeting 2:45 pm – 4:00 pmThis is the regularly scheduled meeting date for this committee. AllCommittee Members should plan to attend.
NJASA Presidents’ Reception 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Tuesday, May 24, 2011Conference/Allied Registration 7:00 am – 3:30 pmContinental Breakfast 8:00 am – 8:45 amGeneral Session 9:00 am – 10:15 amKeynote Speaker: Dr. Perry J. MartiniRefreshment Break 10:15 am – 10:30 amNJASA “Open” Executive 10:30 am – 11:45 amCommittee Meeting Group Sessions 10:30 am – 11:45 amLunch and Networking 12:00 pm – 2:00 pmwith NJASA Allied MembersGroup Sessions 2:15 pm – 3:30 pm
HOTEL INFORMATION:Ocean Place Resort & Spa is the official host hotel for the 2011NJASA/NJSBA Annual Spring Conference.It is the responsibility of all attendees and exhibitors going to the SpringConference to make their own hotel arrangements directly with OceanPlace. NJASA has negotiated a special rate with the hotel for conferenceattendees and exhibitors. The NJASA conference rate at Ocean Place is$179 per night, plus applicable taxes. There is also a $12.00 resort fee perroom per day which includes: in room bottled water, coffee and tea, use ofthe Fitness Center and hot tubs, use of the indoor and outdoor pools, accessto Activities Desk, parking, in room local and toll-free calls and wirelesshigh speed internet, 24 hour access to the Business Center computers, dailynewspaper, luggage handling, shuttle service from the Long Branch trainstation and bellman.
To make hotel reservations, call 732-571-4000, ext. 8002. Res er vations canbe made Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-7:00 pm or Saturday, 9:00 am-5:00 pm.In order to receive the group rate, please reference New Jersey Associationof School Administrators.
These rates are based on single or double occupancy. Rooms are first come-first serve. The special rate will only be offered until the room block is filledup. All hotel reservations must be made with Ocean Place no later thanMonday, May 2, 2011.
Any reservations made after the cut-off date are on a space and rate avail-ability basis.
Agenda-at-a-Glance
*Editor’s Note: Group sessions, functions and times are subject to change.Visit www.njasa.net for a detailed description of all Spring Conference functions and programs.
The waiver request
for
overnight lo
dging was APPROVED
by the Acting
Commissioner of
Education. A
s a result of
this waiver,
school distr
icts will be
able to
reimburse attend
ees for overn
ight
lodging on M
onday,
May 23, 2011
.
Reports of further cuts in fundingfrom the State of New Jersey are cer-tainly gloomy. Notwithstanding theabove, in a couple of recent bills, theNew Jersey Legislature has offered dis-tricts some opportunity to increasetheir income.
The first is a bill which was approvedon January 5, 2011, which permitsadvertising on the exterior of schoolbuses. This bill will be codified atN.J.S.A. 18A: 39-31, et seq. The state-ment accompanying the bill explainsthat boards of education will be per-mitted to enter into contracts for thesale of advertising space on the exteriorof school buses that a district eitherowns or leases.
The local board of education must giveits prior approval to any advertisementappearing on the exterior of a schoolbus. Advertisements for alcohol ortobacco are specifically prohibited. Inaddition, the law also gives the NewJersey Commissioner of Education theauthority to deem advertisements forother types of products or servicesinappropriate. There has not yet beenan indication of what these other prod-ucts or services might be.
There are some other key limitationsspecified in the bill. In the event that a
board does enter into a contract thatpermits such advertising, fifty percent(50%) of the revenue generated bysuch a contract must first be appliedby the board to offset the fuel costsincurred by the district in providingtransportation for its students; theremaining fifty percent, however, “shall be used to support any programsand services the board may deemappropriate.”
It is very important to note that,should your district choose to utilizethe opportunity offered by this bill,you must pay close attention to thefact that the bill specifically notes thatthe provisions of the Public SchoolContracts Law, N.J.S.A. 18A:18A-1. et seq. are applicable to any bus adver-tising contracts.
The bill also requires the Com mis -sioner of Education to evaluate theimpact of school bus advertising and toreport on this evaluation to theGovernor and the Legislature withinone year of the effective date of the bill(the bill was effective immediately) andannually thereafter. The elements to beconsidered in the evaluation andreports are the number of districts thathave entered into advertising contractsand the fiscal benefits that participat-ing districts have derived.
Another important provision in thebill, which will be helpful to schooldistricts during these difficult econom-ic times, is that school districts whichraise revenue through advertising con-tracts will be permitted to increase theamount of the undesignated generalfund balance for the budget year bythe amount of any revenue received bythe district under such a contract.
The bill also delegates authority to theState Board of Education to promul-gate regulations necessary to effectuatethe purposes of the Act. The regula-tions are to indicate the size of the adsand other criteria for determiningwhether ads are age-appropriate, aswell as “the suitability of the message.”The directive for the State Board topromulgate regulations that will governcontent could also generate litigationconcerning possible First Amendmentright impact.
Although there is a chance that schoolbus advertising could generate someconflict in the affected communities, italso presents an opportunity for dis-tricts to raise revenue that does notcome from taxes.
Another recently enacted bill, the Anti-Bullying Bill of Rights amendsN.J.S.A. 18A:37-13, et seq., in additionto broadening school district andschool administrator responsibility tothwart bullying and other forms of biasbehavior, the law also requires the NewJersey Department of Education toestablish a Bullying Prevention Fund.The fund will be administered by theCommissioner to carry out the provi-sions of the Act. It is also supposed tobe used to offer grants to
ON TARGET • Page 6
Finding Revenue in Unexpected Places
James T. Finn, CLUVice President, Employee Benefits Division
80 Lambert Lane, Suite 140 Lambertville, NJ 08530609.397.3088, ext 23 Toll Free: 888.537.2829 F: 609.397.0082E: [email protected] www.advisorsbb.com
Laura I. FanueleVice President, Employee Benefits Division
7 Regent Street, Suite 708 Livingston, NJ 07039973.994.9333, ext 13 F: 973.994.2768E: [email protected] www.advisorsbb.com
continued on page 11
LEGALCORNER
by Beth L. Finkelstein, Esq., Assistant Association Counsel
The waiver request
for
overnight lo
dging was APPROVED
by the Acting
Commissioner of
Education. A
s a result of
this waiver,
school distr
icts will be
able to
reimburse attend
ees for overn
ight
lodging on M
onday,
May 23, 2011
.
NJASA/NJSBA 29th ANNUAL SPRING CONFERENCE“Together With Purpose: Confirming the Value of Public Education”
Ocean Place, Long Branch, NJ May 23-24, 2011
REGISTRATION FORMPlease complete the following information and return it
no later than Friday, May 13, 2011 to:
NEW JERSEY ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORSAttn: Libby DeNorchia, 920 West State Street Trenton, NJ 08618OR FAX: (609) 599-1893 Questions? - Email [email protected]
One form per registrant. Please duplicate form as needed. Please print or type.
Mr. Dr.Name Ms. Mrs. Position
District County
Mailing Address
City State Zip
Email Phone Fax
Registered Spouse Name (See fees below)
RREEGGIISSTTRRAATTIIOONN FFEEEESS:: � Full 2-Day Conference Registration - $349 ____________________
Includes all sessions, meal functions and the Presidents’ Reception
� 1-Day Pass – Monday/May 23, 2011 - $199 ____________________Includes all sessions on Monday, continental breakfast and lunch(Does not include the Presidents’ Reception)
� 1-Day Pass – Tuesday/May 24, 2011 - $199 ____________________Includes all sessions on Tuesday, continental breakfast and lunch
Presidents’ Reception Tickets – Monday/May 23, 2011 - $35 x ______ (tickets) ____________________
TOTAL: __________
� Spouses and Retirees – $100 each ____________________Includes all sessions, meal functions and the Presidents’ Reception
TOTAL: __________
Monday, May 23 (To assist us in planning, please check all that apply)These sessions are only open to paid Conference registrants.
� I plan to attend the Awards Recognition/Keynote Speaker Lunch on Monday/May 23 � I am a Legislative Committee member and plan to attend the meeting on Monday/May 23� I plan to attend the Women’s Caucus Session on Monday/May 23
REGISTRATION POLICIES:ALL REGISTRATION FORMS MUST BE RECEIVED � NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2011 to avoid a late charge.CANCELLATION POLICY � All cancellations must be in writing to Sharon Goulding via email [email protected]. Registrationscancelled after 4:00 pm, Friday, May 13, 2011, will result in a charge of the specified registration fee.BADGES � The Official Spring Conference Badge is your admittance to sessions and included food functions. All Group Session presenters are responsible for registering for the conference unless they are only coming in to presenttheir specific session.
SPECIAL NOTES � All Business Persons must use the Allied Member Registration Form to attend. Please call (609) 599-2900, ext. 127 to obtain a form or email Charlotte Duthie at [email protected] working as Interim School Administrators or for an Allied Member cannot register under the Retiree Category.
BILLING INFORMATION: Please make checks/vouchers payable to NJASA.
� Bill me � Bill my Board � Voucher enclosed � Payment enclosed � Credit Card (Check one): � Visa � MasterCard � American Express
Credit Card #_____________________________________________ ___ Expiration Date:________________________________
Cardholder’s Signature_______________________________________________________________________________________
Faced with seemingly insurmountablemountains, the great military tacticianand “father of strategy,” Hannibal, said,“We will either find a way, or make away.” The North Plainfield School Dis -trict has faced a few mountains of itsown, such as challenging test scores inmathematics and language arts literacy.Yet, the district is slowly hiking its wayup the mountain.
District ninth graders – 14, 15, or 16years old – traditionally had struggledto perform well in school. Some hadnot met the proficiency level of NewJersey’s grade 8 assessment of skills andknowledge (NJASK 8) in mathematicsand language arts/literacy. Some hadlittle to look forward to except drop-ping out or graduating at 20 years ofage. Moreover, some had little hope forever succeeding because they had triedvarious venues, including after schoolprograms, summer programs, and basicskills instruction – all in addition to thetraditional structured program. Andstill they had not been successful. Torespond to this condition, the NorthPlainfield School District tried a newstrategy and developed a new program.
Initially called “Double-Double,” theprogram offers back-to-back instruction-al periods of English (language arts andliteracy) and double periods of math(math knowledge and numeracy), thustaking up four periods of a student’s dayif required to take both. The grade 9English double block builds and appliescritical writing, reading and speakingskills. Students are empowered to readfor understanding, write for variousaudiences and purposes, and engage inpresentations that further their learningand foster positive student pride.
The grade 9 math program is designedto increase students’ proficiency withbasic math skills. In addition to anemphasis on fractions, decimals andpercents, the concepts of probability,statistics, geometry and pre-algebraskills are addressed. The course preparesstudents for instruction in algebra.
Both courses have standards-based con-tent and, on the surface, appear to bemore of the same type of materials in agrade 9 English or grade 9 math class–just double the time spent in class, 84minutes. While the content is geared toa grade 9 curriculum, the approach isquite different. In addition to selectingmotivating teachers with student-cen-tered strategies, the class size is limitedto 15 pupils.
“The small class sizes are more con-ducive to scheduling writing confer-ences, purposeful group work activities,peer review sessions, trust buildingactivities, and modifying instructionand assignments for English languagelearners (ELL) and those with specialneeds. This is especially advantageouswhen students are writing because theycan get the feedback they need rightaway,” expressed Hope Blecher-Sass,English/Language Arts Supervisor.
In the double math and English pro-grams, the small class setting allows theclass to become a community of learn-ers. Priscilla Weber, English teacher,points out that after having taught theEnglish 9 double class for three yearsnow, she has “found the most profounddifference between the double blockand a regular period of English is thecommunity that is created within theclassroom. The small class sizes enables
ON TARGET • Page 8
Students Are Climbing the EducationalMountains They Face
for a more intimate setting in whichstudents feel more secure taking risksand speaking up, and in which they areall working toward common goals.”
Students share this view, also. The smallclass setting allows the class to become acommunity of learners. “You meet newpeople and the class feels like a family.When you do presentations people inthe class don’t laugh if you make a mis-take or if you don’t know what you aredoing. Your classmates will help you!….. By the end of the year, you are notgoing to want it to be over because youwill miss your double period math like Ido now,” noted one student.
When speaking with students who werereunited this year in an English 12 classwith the same teacher and other formerdouble-double participants, they ex -pressed how delighted they were to havethe opportunity to be together again withthe same teacher after having spent timein the first double English class as fresh-men in 2007-2008. One former ELL stu-dent remembers his limited ability ingrade 9 and takes pride in his im provedability to write, citing his time in theEnglish double as the reason why. Apartfrom the focus on writing and readingcomprehension, the course focuses onpride and participation. “A key rule inclass was to show kindness to each otheras students worked through their feelingsof embarrassment as they changed fromhesitant readers to willing volunteers,”remembers Ellen Brain, the Englishteacher who is teaching some of the stu-dents again in twelfth grade. “Many ofthese students were successful in theirfirst High School Proficiency Assessment(HSPA) test and credit the double classwith this success,” she continued.
Because of the class size and the addi-tional time, there are opportunities forvaried and non-traditional instructionthat entail group work, presentations,and technology. North Plainfield’s dou-ble math program is heavily based onCarnegie Learning’s Cognitive AlgebraTutor software, including both its“Bridge to Algebra” and “Algebra I” pro-grams. Each program is used for onesemester. “The teachers involved in theprogram have met extensively to adapt
continued on page 10
CURRICULUMCORNER
by Marilyn E. Birnbaum, Ed.D., Superintendent, North Plainfield,and 2011 NJASA Central Regional Superintendent of the Year
ON TARGET • Page 9
F INANCIALCORNER
by Mort Reinhart, NJASA Pension Consultant
Careers in Teachingor Public Service...
Not if ThisAdministration Has
Its Way
This column had started out to be a dis-cussion on the two separate proposals putforth by Governor Chris Christie andSenate President Steve Sweeney to“reform” the pension systems of publicemployees. But almost before I could getmore than a few words down on paper,there was the Senator offering a proposalon health insurance “reform.” And beforeI had an opportunity to digest the health“reform” information, there was theGovernor putting forth proposals to endthe tenure laws for teachers and to tiesalaries to performance measures, like stan-dardized tests. Whew!!!! I am breathless.
In their zeal to show the electorate thatthey are both committed to bringing pub-lic employees’ salaries and benefits and, inthe Governor’s case, job security, into linewith the private sector, these two heads oftheir state political parties appear to beplaying a game of “Can You Top This”with the livelihoods of over a half millionpublic workers in New Jersey, who, by theway, are taxpayers and members of thepublic too. So much for having the gover-norship and the legislature split betweenthe two political parties, which is sup-posed to provide for a system of checksand balances that work for the benefit ofall the citizens of the state.
Instead, we find that it is time to bash theteacher, the principal, the school superin-tendent, the local and state worker, thelaw enforcement community and even thejudiciary with the complaint that theirsalaries are too high, their pension systembroken, their benefits out of control and,in a sly, off-handed way, they are incompe-tent. This last point is drawn from theconstant criticism of public education,which, like the pension system, the healthcare system and just about everything elsein New Jersey, is “broken” or “failing.” Atleast, that is the picture someone wouldget, if that someone just arrived fromMars and read the various newspapers and
listened to the radio or TV stations thatcover New Jersey.
What does all of the above rhetoric haveto do with pension consulting, which ismy current profession. Plenty. Because asa former educator, who was loved andrespected in the late ‘50s and ‘60s whenteachers were not making a lot of moneyand when the pension system formulawas N/60 times the average of the high-est five years, I am appalled to see politi-cians bashing the profession because thesalaries and benefits of educators havenow reached a point where they are closeto the private sector. Public school edu-cators and other public employees havebecome the whipping boys/girls for theambitious politicians who have con-vinced the public that they are the reasonfor the public’s high taxes, that they arethe reason that the public’s children arefailing and that they no longer should betreated with respect.
And the answer for all these ills.... Capsalaries. Reduce pension benefits. “Rollback” a former pension increase. Makethem pay more for their pensions andtheir health insurance. Threaten their jobsecurity. Eliminate future retiree cost-of-living adjustments.
Let’s take a look at some of the majorpoints of the Governor’s and the SenatePresident’s proposals.
The Governor has been touting his agendafor pension reform, which he titles,“Bring ing Long Overdue Fiscal Sanity ToNew Jersey’s Out-of-Control PensionSystem.” Assembly Bill 3796, introducedin early February by two RepublicanAssemblymen, contains the Governor’sreform list. Here is a synopsis of the pro-posed reforms:
➢ Change the formula for all future serv-ice in TPAF and PERS to N/65. (Hesays he wants to “roll back the 9%
increase” that was granted in 2001.Going from N/55 to N/65 is an 18.2%reduction, not a 9% rollback!). By theway, N/65 is a lower formula than theone I mentioned above that was ineffect when I began teaching in 1958;
➢ Eliminate any additional cost-of-livingadjustments for all current and futureretirees;
➢ Increase the contribution rate for allTPAF and PERS members from 5.5%to 8.5%;
➢ For those with fewer than 25 years ofservice, change the normal and earlyretirement age to 65; increase the num-ber of years to qualify for early retire-ment to 30 years from 25 years; change the penalty for early retirement to 3%for each year under age 65; and
➢ Restrict any public retiree from assum-ing a public position until six monthshave passed after the date of retirement.
Mr. Sweeney’s bill, S-2696, on the otherhand, is a more complex bill. Here are afew of its provisions:➢ Replace the current boards of trustees of
the TPAF, PERS, PFRS, SPRS and JRSwith a Taft-Hartley type governancestructure made up of half employeemembers and half employer members;
➢ Give those boards extraordinary powersto change benefits (increase or decrease,according to the level of funding of theparticular system) after consultationwith the actuaries of the system;
➢ The Normal Liability (the amount offunding required each year to pay forthat one year’s pension costs) would befunded 50% by the employees’ contri-butions and 50% by the employers’contributions. This figure is calculated by the actuaries each year;
➢ Allow the board of trustees to increasethe contribution rate of the memberseach year according to the level of fund-ing needed for the Normal Liability ofthe particular system, with a statutory rate of 5.5% as a starting point;
continued on page 11
the materials in these programs to ourstudents’ needs. Cognitive AlgebraTutor is a research-based programwhich consists of parallel textbooks andsoftware components. Students areengaged in reasoning, problem-solvingand multiple representations of mathconcepts. Real-world situations areplentiful, and these provide studentswith opportunities to make connec-tions between concrete, symbolic andabstract representations of the maththey are learning,” commented PatriciaMarseglia, Mathematics Supervisor.
The computer element helps to set thedouble apart from other courses, partic-ularly since students enjoy working attheir own pace. “And after each chap-ter, they got a ‘Con grat u lations’ screen(complete with a star of excellence).You’d be amazed at how excited theycontinued to get each time theyreached that screen!” exclaimed PattyLukacs, Mathematics Teacher.
While last year’s English double focusedon using various computer applicationsto facilitate the writing process and oralpresentations, students also had the lap-top carts in the room so that they couldnavigate websites, as well as communi-cate ideas and express differences viaonline discussion boards. Given thesuccess of the technology, this year’sninth graders have the opportunity tocontinue a program they began ingrade 8, Vantage Learning’s MY Access,an online instructional writing tooldesigned to analyze and assess eachindividual student’s writing. Since theprogram scores the essays immediately,students get many opportunities forwriting along with targeted feedback.
In the double classes, students learn towork in groups through a structured setof guidelines. “The groups present solu-tions to problems, and it is gratifying tosee students who, after years of strug-gling in math, confidently speak abouttheir problem-solving process andanswer questions about the problem.Upon observing one student articulateboth the process and concept involvedin his group’s problem, I asked him if hehad always liked to be ‘on stage.’ Whenhe said that he hadn’t, I asked him whyhe didn’t mind it now. His response was‘Now I know what I’m talking about,’”commented Ms. Marseglia.
In fact, Ms. Lukacs noted, “When theyare put ‘in charge’ of their own learning(in groups and for presentations), theyown it and work hard to understand itand to help each other understand it.They also became very competentspeakers and presenters by the end ofthe year. Hearing them talk and explainmath was almost surreal; they soundedlike little mathematicians!”
In the course evaluation, one studentwrote the following to incoming fresh-men: “In this class you work in groupsteaching each other. Most of the timeyou’re helping each other learn. At theend of the marking period, you do pre-sentations...you are presenting a problemthat you’ve worked on in the chapter andyou go up there as a group and workthrough the problem step by step. It’spretty cool...there are so many thingsyou will learn and none of it is boring. Ifyou didn’t like math before, you’ll like itnow for sure.”
Al though the doubles have not existedlong enough to be fully evaluated, teach-ers have ob served im provement. Thetenth grade Eng lish teachers have
noticed that studentswho were in the dou-ble English class theprior year haveentered their classeswith stronger readingand writing skills.
“Following the year inthe double math pro-gram, students go onto Algebra I withmore confidence.
Many, in fact, question whether or notthey should be moved on to Geometry.Students who have moved on to AlgebraI seem to be meeting with approximate-ly the same level of success they metwith the prior year. In looking at recentdata, we seem to have approximately33% of the former Math 9Knowledge/Numeracy students gettingan A or B in the first marking period ofAlgebra I, while another 20% are get-ting Cs,” observed Ms. Marseglia.
The District is confident that this newinstructional tactic will have a positiveeffect on its students meeting NewJersey’s rigorous mathematics and lan-guage arts/literacy standards. Hanni-bal’s lifework had an enduring impacton world culture. The double Englishand math classes, likewise, have had apositive influence beyond the end ofthe courses themselves, including thestate assessments.
The double math classes were morehighly populated than their Englishcounterparts, but 34 of the 55 studentswho survived, i.e., 62% of those stu-dents, who had not been proficient ingrade 8, gained proficiency as theyreached the HSPA in grade 11. Englishstudents were even more successful, with29 of the 34 students who survived tograde 11, i.e., 85% of the studentsbecoming proficient on the HSPA.
It should be noted that what began as aprogram for ninth graders in 2007-2008has now expanded to envelop grade 8math students and grade 10 English stu-dents, in order to scaffold instruction inthose critical subject areas.
Increases in confidence and their abilityto apply what they have learned in theirinteractions with others create moreopportunities for these students togrow intellectually and become citizensof the world. Step by step, through thesupport of teachers and administrators,students are climbing the educationalmountains they face.
Carnegie Learninghttp://www.carnegielearning.com/approach.cfm
Vantage Learninghttp://www.vantagelearning.com/school/products/myaccess
ON TARGET • Page 10
Curriculum Cornercontinued from page 8
ON TARGET • Page 11
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Legal Cornercontinued from page 6
school districts to provide training onharassment, intimidation and bullyingprevention, and to assist with “theeffective creation of positive school cli-mates.” We are awaiting more detailsfrom the Department on the mechan-ics that will be put into place to permitdistricts to apply for and meet theparameters of such grants. The LegalCorner article in NJASA’s November,2010 On Target provided a much moredetailed description of the amend-
ments to the State’s already existinganti-bullying law. Please feel free torefer to that article for those details. Itis good news that, in passing theamendments, the Legislature recog-nized that there needed to be a vehicleto help defray the costs districts willincur in order to carry out the bills’directives.
If you are considering entering into aschool bus advertising contract or
applying for a grant, contact yourboard attorney to provide you andyour board with specific advice as tohow to take advantage of these oppor-tunities. In addition, you are alwaysfree to contact the legal department atNJASA with any questions you mayhave in this regard. NJASA will con-tinue to look for ways it can assist youin meeting the extraordinary budgetchallenges ahead.
➢ Continue the N/55 benefit for thosemembers who are willing to make anadditional contribution on top of thebasic rate set by the trustees for thatyear;
➢ Continue to provide the cost-of-livingbenefit to current retirees at no cost;
➢ Continue to provide future cost-of-liv-ing benefits for current active memberswho have at least five years of servicewhen the bill is passed and who arewilling to make an additional contribu-
tion on top of the basic rate set by thetrustees for that year;
In addition, both the Governor and theSenate President have publicly statedtheir desires to have active employees paya greater percentage of their health bene-fits. Without getting into the details, theamount being aired by both parties is inthe range of 30% of the cost of the bene-fit.
What all this leads me, as a parent andgrandparent, to ask myself, “Would Iencourage my children or grandchildren
to consider teaching or public employ-ment in New Jersey, where we have apolitical climate today that is as anti-edu-cator, anti-public employee as I have everseen in my 77 years as a resident of thestate?”
The fact that I have to think about thatquestion and that I have to struggle toanswer it in light of what is being con-templated doesn’t just leave me breath-less. It makes me darn right angry, and,at the same time, it makes me very sadto contemplate the future of New Jersey.
Financial Cornercontinued from page 9
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2010-2011 NJASA OfficersPresident ……………………………………Judith Ann RattnerPresident-Elect …………………………Andrew Rinko, Ed.D.Secretary …………………………Donna B. Van Horn, Ed.D.Treasurer ……………………………Gary P. McCartney, Ed.D.Past-President …………………………………Douglas B. Groff
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