The New Jersey State Board of Education convened for their monthly meeting on Wednesday, October 2, 2024 at the Riverview Executive Plaza in Trenton. The October meeting is always a favorite because of one very exciting agenda item, the New Jersey State Teacher of the Year for 2024/2025.
This year marks the 55th year that the NJ Department of Education has selected a New Jersey State Teacher of the Year. This year, that honor was bestowed upon Stefanie Lachenauer, a civics and mindfulness teacher at Montgomery Upper Middle School in the Montgomery Township School District.
As the New Jersey Teacher of the Year, Lachenauer is entitled to an all-expense paid, six-month sabbatical from January through June 2025 to attend national and state conferences, tour the state visiting classrooms and to work on various initiatives at the New Jersey Department of Education, a rental car, clothing allowance, media training and communications support, and a trip to Washington DC to meet the President of the United States.
On the business end of agenda items, the NJDOE Division of Finance and Business Services presented for Readoption, Chapter 23A, Fiscal Accountability, Efficiency, and Budgeting. The Department included five substantive changes:
- Specify that a board resolution is required to expand the chart of accounts beyond the minimum and the budgetary and over expenditure controls must be followed. N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.2(f)
- Require a school district to maintain the same level of insurance coverage when the position of Treasurer is eliminated and its functions are delegated to another person. N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.4(d)
- Provide Commissioner discretion, in addition to using objective criteria, in determining when districts must submit financial reports to the county office. N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.10(c)4iii
- Clarify rules about Student Activity Funds, including the definition, required policies, and timeline for the expenditure of funds. N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-16.12(a)
- Requires that a district choosing to change its tuition certification method for the subsequent year must provide written notice to the Department by March 1. N.J.A.C. 6A:23A-17.1(d)
The Board voted unanimously to readopt with amendments.
Also during their meeting, the Board considered three petitions on Rulemaking. One had to do with employment screening, and asked the State Board to include thermal imaging as a part of the hiring process for anyone whose work involves children. The petitioner believes that this will enhance safety in educational and childcare settings. The State Board explained how seriously they, as well as the Department of Education, take the safety and security of our children, however, the Petitioner’s request is not aligned to state law which already prescribes a comprehensive remedy for the screening of applicants. The Board also noted that Petitioner’s request lacked clear evidence of how thermal imaging scanning would enhance safety and security processes.
The second request for rulemaking was submitted by the same petitioner requesting that the State Board adopt new rules for a curriculum that focuses on developing relationship skills, positive reinforcement techniques for students in middle school through grade twelve. Petitioner sought to require the curriculum to equip students with essential life skills that promote healthy interpersonal relationships, emotional intelligence and positive behavior reinforcement. The request sought to require the curriculum to use four specific books. The petitioner’s request would conflict with state law and regulations. The topics the petitioner requests are explicitly addressed in our New Jersey Student Learning Standards. After due consideration, the State Board denied both petitions for rulemaking.
The third and final request for rulemaking had to do with Chapter 4 Appeals, to include another group of appellants to the State Board of Examiners decisions. The petitioner seeks to add language stating that any party aggrieved by a State Board of Examiners’ decision to include the criminal record of a certificate holder,as opposed to language that reflects N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-4.4(a)1, on a docket revoking the certificate holder’s certificate(s) in accordance with N.J.A.C. 6A:9B-4.4(a)1 due to other just causes in the certificate holder’s personal life that in no way touched the certificate holder’s certificated position, and the certificate holder’s criminal record has been granted an order of expungement by a judge of a criminal court in the State of New Jersey in accordance with N.J.S.A. 2C:52-2, Indictable Offenses. The petitioner asserts that the requested rulemaking would ensure relief to revoked certificate holders who committed a crime in their personal lives on their personal time and the crime had nothing to do with their certificated position. Since the Code already provides that any party aggrieved by a State Board of Examiners decision suspending or revoking a certificate may appeal to the Commissioner, this petitioner’s request was also denied. More information about Rulemaking Petitions can be found here.
If you have questions or would like further information about any of the agenda items from the October meeting, please reach out to your NJPSA Government Relations team ad/or visit the DOE website. The State Board of Education will meet again on November 6th, 2024.
-Jennie Lamon, Assistant Director of Government Relations