Welcome to the 2022-2023 School Year! 

I am excited, grateful, and humbled to be your President of NJASA for the 2022-23 school year. As we look forward to the opening of the school year, school leaders are faced with a myriad of issues. School Safety and Violence, Teacher Recruitment and Retention, Political Polarization, School Funding and Mental Health Issues are just a few that stand out currently. I purposely did not mention COVID or Equity in the above because I believe it is couched under the political polarization issue.

Just recently, NJASA has created committees to address two of the issues listed above. Mary Jane Garibay (Colts Neck) and Chuck Sampson (Freehold Twp.) will chair the NJASA School Security/Student Safety Ad Hoc Committee. David Aderhold (West Windsor -Plainsboro) and Susan McCotter (TCNJ) will chair the NJASA Staff Recruitment and Retention Ad Hoc Committee. If you would like to be a member of the committee, please reach out to Ginger Thompson, NJASA Executive Office Administrative Assistant at gingert@njasa.net. Each committee will be providing updates to membership through out the school year.

Through your collective leadership, our organization will continue evolve in the areas of equity through NJASA 4 Equity and Covid Protocols. Rich Bozza and Janet Fike did an outstanding job last year in advocating for our members and dissemination of information regarding Covid procedures and protocols. Our work in Equity has expanded across the state and the outreach spans from Sussex to Cape May Counties. Our work in both areas is critical in determining our roles as educators. Defining our roles will mitigate the distractions created by politicians in steering time and energy away from our primary mission in educating our students brought on by the recent political polarization that permeates the current milieu.

My primary focus as your President is to serve the needs of our membership statewide but also at the county level. The communication from local involvement will not be limited to our committee projects.  As you all know, superintendents have been profoundly challenged, individually as well as professionally. As we move forward away from this period of flux, I will continue to collaborate with our Executive Director, Dr. Richard Bozza, and my fellow officers: President-Elect Dr. Mike LaSusa, Chief Education Officer, School District of the Chathams; Secretary Nelyda Perez, Assistant Superintendent, Matawan-Aberdeen Regional; Treasurer Dr. Rick Falkenstein, Chief Education Officer, Kingwood Township; and Immediate Past-President Dr. Janet L. Fike, Chief Education Officer, Morris-Union Jointure Commission; on advocating at the Governor’s office as well as the New Jersey Legislature for you, public education, and all those who work in our schools.

Sincerely,

Tony Trongone
2022-2023 NJASA President