NJASA

Dear Colleagues:

As I gathered my ideas to write this message, two groups of individuals - my fellow NJASA members and the public school children of our Garden State - dominated my thoughts.

One of the first responsibilities of an incoming NJASA President, aside from delivering good weather for NJASA functions, is to select a theme for the term of office. My theme, "Leadership - Putting Vision into Action," paraphrased from Warren Bennis, best describes our roles as school leaders.

You, my friends, are very different than the many theorists, reformers, activists, bureaucrats who are skilled at identifying problems. In the past 12 months, you, as leaders, have accepted challenges, developed action plans, and dedicated resources for pre-implementation training within restricted budget cycles, while ensuring the difficult phase of implementation was accomplished. Congratulations on a job well done!

The greater involvement of NJASA members always has been an important priority. During the 2014-2015 school year, our Association expanded the NJASA Committees, enhanced our professional development programs and increased opportunities to solicit your comments via surveys. Thanks to your dedication and member involvement, your feedback has formed the foundation for many of the Association’s positions to the State Department of Education. 

In my opinion as an educator, parent, and resident of New Jersey, I truly believe our future is our children. We need to continue to advocate on their behalf so that the road to excellence will continue into future generations.

Each year, student recipients are selected from the district of the current NJASA President to receive the James A. Moran Scholarship. I was most pleased to provide two North Brunswick Public School graduating seniors with a $2,000 scholarship to assist them in their college endeavors. The Association initiated the Moran Memorial Scholarship Fund in 2002 in honor of Past NJASA Executive Director James A. Moran, 1974-1993.

In closing, I wish to thank NJASA Executive Director Rich Bozza and staff for their dedication and efforts.  Finally, my officers: Pat Fletcher, Toni Rath, Scott McCartney and Gary McCartney have provided invaluable advice necessary to keep the Association moving.

Have a great summer!

Sincerely,