The following article was recently published by the Alternative Press, a local paper serving out community following a recent Board of Education Meeting.
Friday, September 20, 2013 • 4:01pm
SUMMIT, NJ - When does a parent cease being an advocate for his or her child? The answer may be when they assume responsibility for policies affecting all of the school children in a community. The assumption of responsibility for policies affecting the entire school community comes when a citizen becomes a member of the board of education. (see the above link to read more on this article)
While this training is mandatory in New Jersey, it goes beyond explaining critical issues such as confidentiality, conflicts, chain-of-command, claims and commitments such as attendance at Regular Board Meetings; it provides clarity and awareness for Administrators and Boards of Education to hold their members accountable and enforce appropriate behavior.
In New Jersey, school board members must undergo the training sessions but they may choose to do them privately or in public. Failure to comply can result in removal from the board.
Removal may also happen if a Board Member misses three or more Regular meetings in a twelve month period according to attorney Anthony P. Sciarrillo of the Westfield firm of Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper. This action must come from the School Ethics Commission. Interestingly this is not the case for missing Workshop meetings.
The School Ethics Commission is a nine-member body with the power to issue advisory opinions, receive complaints, receive and retain disclosure statements, conduct investigations, hold hearings, and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents as it may deem necessary to enforce the School Ethics Act. School Ethics Commission Members are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Commission is established in the New Jersey Department of Education.
The attorney noted that certain board matters, such as negotiations, personnel, contracts and litigation are protected from public disclosure while they are under discussion and the board must hold such discussions in private sessions in order to protect the confidentiality of parties involved. He said board members are bound to protect this confidentiality even after they leave a school body.
While this training is mandatory in New Jersey, it goes beyond explaining critical issues such as confidentiality, conflicts, chain-of-command, claims and commitments such as attendance at Regular Board Meetings; it provides clarity and awareness for Administrators and Boards of Education to hold their members accountable and enforce appropriate behavior.
In New Jersey, school board members must undergo the training sessions but they may choose to do them privately or in public. Failure to comply can result in removal from the board.
Removal may also happen if a Board Member misses three or more Regular meetings in a twelve month period according to attorney Anthony P. Sciarrillo of the Westfield firm of Lindabury, McCormick, Estabrook & Cooper. This action must come from the School Ethics Commission. Interestingly this is not the case for missing Workshop meetings.
The School Ethics Commission is a nine-member body with the power to issue advisory opinions, receive complaints, receive and retain disclosure statements, conduct investigations, hold hearings, and compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of documents as it may deem necessary to enforce the School Ethics Act. School Ethics Commission Members are appointed by and serve at the pleasure of the Governor. The Commission is established in the New Jersey Department of Education. The attorney noted that certain board matters, such as negotiations, personnel, contracts and litigation are protected from public disclosure while they are under discussion and the board must hold such discussions in private sessions in order to protect the confidentiality of parties involved. He said board members are bound to protect this confidentiality even after they leave a school body.
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