Anna Evans was sworn in last night as the newest Board of Education member to the joint Board for BCIT/BCSSSD. She noted that she looks forward to working with fellow Board members and looks forward to visit the schools and support the great work that is being done.
January is Board of Education Appreciation Month sponsored by the New Jersey School Boards Association. We are very privileged to have on our Board dedicated individuals who collectively have served over 114 years on New Jersey School Boards of Education.
I was honored to acknowledge the following Board members with a Certificate of Appreciation:
Robert Silcox, Board President - 40 Years
Paula Lee, Vice President - 30 Years
John Ferry - 24 Years of Service
Leon Jones - 10 Years of Service
Lorene Moore – 9 years
Anna Evans - New Board member – 1 year
Congratulations and thank you for your tireless dedication to our students, staff and districts.
At the beginning of the month, honorees for the Teacher of the Year, Teacher Assistants of the Year and Educational Service Professionals of the Year in both Districts were announced. They will be recognized by the County at a celebration that we will be hosting at BCIT Medford on May 12, 2020. Please see my BCIT and BCSSSD January 10, 2020 blog posts for more information on our honorees. Congratulations.
With the assistance of our association officers, administrators and my assistant Lorraine, we have completed our review of the School Calendars for 2020-2021 school year of which the Board will be asked to approve this evening. We have accounted for Board of Education meetings and have scheduled school events around these dates so as to minimize any conflicts. We anticipate by next week that the new calendars will be on our district websites.
I am extremely pleased with the advancements that have been made to our websites which are in the process of being ADA compliant which is a large undertaking. We just received the proofs for our one-minute drone coverage videos on both campuses as well as student and staff testimonials and program coverage all of which will be on our websites by the end of February. This represents a major milestone for us. I want to thank Dr. Holley, Michele Hill, Christine Jenter, administrators and the cadre of staff across campuses and the Board office who assisted in making this project a reality.
I want to thank Andrew Willmott, Dr. English, the Board of Education staff and our respective associations for working with us to provide during the month of January, the retro payments pursuant to the contract settlement agreements. This also represents a major milestone for both districts. Everyone’s patience is much appreciated.
The board approved two new job descriptions last night, one for security and the other for facilities.
The Burlington County Times last week provided some great coverage of our BCIT admissions and Career and Technical Education Programs. We are anticipating another banner year based on our current applications. I am happy also to announce as a result of the record enrollment, we are seeking the addition of a three new CTE programs which will be part of a pathway to college credit programs at RCBC and will have to go through the appropriate review process for new program approvals:
- Cyber Security, Computer Information Systems and Computer Engineering
- Small Engine Technology that would include outdoor power equipment and potentially wind technology
- Biomedical or Biotechnology Sciences or equivalent potentially partnering with a healthcare provider
These new programs will support the growing industries be it in technology, health sciences or transportation, logistics and distribution.
BCIT has been invited to participate in the initial conversations about a futuristic initiative focused on wind turbine technology. Dr. English is representing the district.
Dr. English and her team are in the process of publishing the 2020 BCIT Summer Camp schedule. We are offering innovative and exciting experiences for students within Burlington County.
On February 20, 2020 in the Rutger’s Extension, various stakeholders from the 21 New Jersey County Vocational Technical School Districts, NJDOE personnel and community industry advisors will meet for the Inaugural Structured Learning Experience (SLE) Symposium. This will be an interactive professional development experience focused on structured learning experiences creating successful student opportunities for transition from school to career.
February is earmarked as CTE Month. Dr. English will be launching for the first time her CTE in Motion recognition program. Each month a CTE program will be highlighted and accompanied on the website with media clips to capture the great work of our students.
February is also Black History Awareness Month. Dr. Holley is working with district administrators to facilitate conversations and awareness among staff and students about key historical figures and leadership attributes serving as role models for our current generation.
