January is School Board Recognition Month

January 2012 is the 11th annual School Board Recognition Month in New Jersey, a time to raise public awareness of the role and responsibilities of local boards of education and to thank your community's school board members for their efforts.

New Jersey's local boards of education play an essential role in students' lives. They oversee 587 school districts which, in turn, operate 2,500 public schools and provide educational services to nearly 1.4 million children. They set the policies for our schools and make important decisions affecting curriculum, financing and staffing.  What many people don't realize is that they do all this as volunteers, receiving no compensation.

In a resolution passed at their January meeting, the Manchester Township Board of Education called on citizens to work together toward improving education as it recognized the contributions of colleagues throughout the state during School Board Recognition Month. 

“The Manchester Township Board of Education embraces the goal of high-quality education for all New Jersey public schools students,” read a resolution adopted by the board. “New Jersey can take pride in its schools, which rank among the nation’s best in indicators such as high school graduation rates, class size, college entrance exam participation, and Advanced Placement offerings and test scores.”

Superintendent of Schools, David Trethaway, expressed his appreciation to Manchester BOE members Donald Webster, Jr., James Kenneth Pate, Mary Walter, Steve Placido, James Griffin, Jackie Bermudez, and Jennifer Hudak, and to Lakehurst Representative April Chillemi, on behalf of the community.  

"They all volunteer their time. They get nothing in return except that they are serving their community," he remarked.  Speaking of the importance of having a local school board, he said, "No one understands our school district better than they do because the are a part of our community...They understand their role - they hold (Business Administrator) Mr. Lorentzen and I very accountable and they are always asking, 'How will this benefit our schools, our parents, our community?' "

School Board Recognition Month Resolution

WHEREAS, The New Jersey School Boards Association and the National School Boards Association have declared January 2012 to be School Board Recognition Month, a time that all residents might acknowledge the contributions made by our local school board members; and 

WHEREAS, The Manchester Township Board of Education is one of 587 local school boards in New Jersey that sets policies and oversees operations for public school districts; and 

WHEREAS, The Manchester Township Board of Education embraces the goal of high-quality education for all New Jersey public school students; and 

WHEREAS, New Jersey’s local school boards help determine community goals for the education of approximately 1.4 million children in pre- kindergarten through 12th grade; and 

WHEREAS, New Jersey’s 4,800 local school board members, who receive no remuneration for their services, act as advocates for public school students as they work with administrators, teachers and parents for the betterment of public education; and 

WHEREAS, School boards strive to provide the resources necessary to meet the needs of all students, including those with special needs; and 

WHEREAS, Boards of education provide accountability to the public; they communicate the needs of the school district to the public; and they convey to school administrators the public’s expectations for the schools; and 

WHEREAS, New Jersey can take pride in its schools, which rank among the nation’s best in indicators such as high school graduation rates, class size, college entrance exam participation, and Advanced Placement offerings and test scores. Now, therefore, be it 

RESOLVED, That the Manchester Township Board of Education, does hereby recognize the services of local school board members throughout New Jersey as we join communities statewide in observing January 2012 as SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH; and be it further 

RESOLVED, That the Manchester Township Board of Education urges all New Jersey citizens to work with their local boards of education and public school staffs toward the improvement of our children’s education.