Bill Text: NJ A3588 | 2012-2013 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Requires newly elected or appointed board of education member to complete training program before voting on any major resolution.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2012-12-10 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Education Committee [A3588 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2012-A3588-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman CHARLES MAINOR
District 31 (Hudson)
SYNOPSIS
Requires newly elected or appointed board of education member to complete training program before voting on any major resolution.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning training for board of education members and amending P.L.1991, c.393.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 13 of P.L.1991, c.393 (C.18A:12-33) is amended to read as follows:
13. a. Each newly elected or appointed board member shall complete [during the first year of the member's first term] a training program to be prepared and offered by the New Jersey School Boards Association, in consultation with the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association, and the Department of Education, regarding the skills and knowledge necessary to serve as a local school board member. The training program shall include information regarding the school district monitoring system established pursuant to P.L.2005, c.235, the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum, and the five key components of school district effectiveness on which school districts are evaluated under the monitoring system: instruction and program; personnel; fiscal management; operations; and governance. The newly elected or appointed board member shall complete the training program during the first year of the member's first term, or before the member votes on any major resolution, whichever occurs first. The Commissioner of Education shall define the types of matters that constitute a major resolution, which shall include, at a minimum, a superintendent's employment contract, a collective bargaining agreement, and an award of a vendor contract that exceeds $1,000,000 in value.
The board member shall complete a training program on school district governance in each of the subsequent two years of the board member's first term.
b. Within one year after each re-election or re-appointment to the board of education, the board member shall complete an advanced training program to be prepared and offered by the New Jersey School Boards Association. This advanced training program shall include information on relevant changes to New Jersey school law and other information deemed appropriate to enable the board member to serve more effectively.
c. The New Jersey School Boards Association shall examine options for providing training programs to school board members through alternative methods such as on-line or other distance learning media or through regional-based training.
d. Within one year after being newly elected or appointed or being re-elected or re-appointed to the board of education, a board member shall complete a training program on harassment, intimidation, and bullying in schools, including a school district's responsibilities under P.L.2002, c.83 (C.18A:37-13 et seq.). A board member shall be required to complete the program only once.
e. Training on harassment, intimidation, and bullying in schools shall be provided by the New Jersey School Boards Association, in consultation with recognized experts in school bullying from a cross section of academia, child advocacy organizations, nonprofit organizations, professional associations, and government agencies.
(cf: P.L.2010, c.122, s.6)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill amends section 13 of P.L.1991, c.393 (C.18A:12-33) to revise the timeframe in which a newly elected or appointed member of a board of education must complete a training program. Under current law, a new board member must complete the training program during the first year of the member's first term. This bill would require that a new member complete the training program during the first year of the member's first term, or before the member votes on any major resolution, whichever occurs first. Under the bill, the Commissioner of Education will define the types of matters that constitute a major resolution, which will include, at a minimum, a superintendent's employment contract, a collective bargaining agreement, and an award of a vendor contract that exceeds $1 million in value.
