Thank You for Your Dedication to New Jersey’s Public School Systems

As we approach the 2022-2023 winter break and the holiday season, I wanted to express my gratitude and thanks to those who serve our students in New Jersey.

First, I am thankful for our staff. New Jersey Public Schools are powered by hundreds of thousands of instructional and administrative staff. While not every staff member in our state may directly interact with our children, each and every person that works in our classrooms, cafeterias, offices, garages, and warehouses are vital to our daily operations. It is through everyone’s efforts that we are able to provide educational services to over 1.3 million students. I am grateful for your dedication to our state's public school system.

I also want to thank our bus drivers and bus aides, who ensure our students travel to and from school safely. Thanks is also due to all the volunteers that assist with so many events in our schools. Without your efforts, these events would not be the same.

Second, I am thankful for our students, who put in the work every day to reach their educational goals. As I stated, we serve over 1.3 million students, and each of them brings a unique personality and perspective to our classrooms. Thank you to the students that impress us with your intellect, challenge us to look at things in a new way, make us laugh, entertain us on stage, amaze us on the fields and courts, and become extensions of our own families.

Thank you also to the alumni that come back and serve the next generation of students, whether it is during school events, at school, tutoring our students, working in our after-school programs, or even revisiting your old classrooms as substitutes. We hope that the students of today will carry on these traditions tomorrow.

Third, I am thankful for our families. As I have mentioned time and again, the education of our children is a team effort. Thank you to the families that are part of New Jersey Public Schools, whether your student will be walking at your high school's football field at graduation this year, or has only begun their journey in our early childhood programs. We can’t do this alone. I am grateful for every parent and caregiver that stays actively involved in your child’s education and growth as a member of our community, from parent teacher conferences, to homework help, to reading at bedtime, and even to volunteering at marching band competitions.

At the end of the day, we all want what is best for our students. Each and every one of us plays a part in achieving that goal, and it starts with our great New Jersey families.

Thank you, 

Tony Trongone

2022-2023 NJASA President