October 2009 Is National Principals' Month
New Jersey Public Schools Rank Among the Best in the Nation
Friday October 2, 2009 |E–mail this story
The month of October 2009 has been declared “National Principals’ Month” and is dedicated to recognizing the significant contributions of our nation’s principals and the enthusiasm they have for providing quality educational experiences and guidance to their students. New Jersey’s public schools educate approximately 1.4 million children across the state; and the fact is they are among the best in the nation in so many benchmarks of success. The New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA) celebrates the success of our principals for their dedication to their students’ ongoing academic and intellectual development. These school leaders work to provide a positive support system to empower their students and give them the right tools they need to succeed.
As a leader in academic achievement, New Jersey ranks among the nation’s best for high reading, writing, and math scores according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress. The state’s public schools also continue to have the highest graduation rate in the nation with a ratio of 82.1% for those who graduate in four years compared with the national average of 69.2%. Source: Education Week. “The fact that New Jersey public schools consistently rank among the best in the country is due in no small part to the professionalism, commitment, and excellence of our principals,” states JoAnn Bartoletti, Executive Director of NJPSA. “As a career educator, I know quality leadership is essential to a quality school.”
Principals throughout the state maintain student discipline carrying out a philosophy that includes setting high standards. Schools continue to see a decrease in violent incidents and are safer for students according to the Department of Education. Seventy percent of New Jersey schools reported five or fewer incidents of violence, vandalism, and substance abuse in the most recent report; and none met the federal government’s criteria for a “persistently dangerous” school.
We commend New Jersey principals for leading the way in making schools accountable to students, parents, the community, and other stakeholders. Each of these leaders is responsible for fostering a dynamic partnership between the community and the school in order to create a positive learning environment for students.