NJASA

Contact Anne H. Gallagher

NJASA Director of Communications

609-599-2900, ext. 126

agallagher@njasa.net 

The 2013 New Jersey Association of School Administrators Central Regional Superintendent of the Year Dr. Christopher M. Mannois available to comment on education-related issues. 

Trenton, New Jersey, October 23, 2012....Dr. Christopher M. Manno, Chief Education Officer,Burlington Township School District,was selected the 2013 New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA) Central Regional Superintendent of the Year. He was introduced on October 23^rdat the Opening General Session of the Annual Fall Workshop in Atlantic City. The workshop is co-sponsored by the New Jersey Association of School Administrators (NJASA), the New Jersey Association of School Business Officials (NJASBO) and the New Jersey School Boards Association (NJSBA). 

2013 is the fifth year of NJASA’s new process to name three regional – Northern, Central and Southern – Superintendent of the Year winners. The two other chief education officers joining Manno are: Northern Regional winner – Dr. Daniel Fishbein, Chief Education Officer, Ridgewood Public Schools; and Southern Regional winner – Dr. Albert K. Brown, Shared Chief Education Officer, Stratford School District and Laurel Springs School District. 

NJASA Executive Director Richard G. Bozza said, “Chris Manno is a dedicated, hard-working professional who continually strives to improve the quality of education for all students. He is a remarkable chief education officer with vision, imagination, and compassion for the students he serves.” 

Manno’s leadership was instrumental in the design implementation of the All Students Achieving Plan – a systemic, collaborative, evidence-based continuous improvement process, which focuses on improving student achievement, community engagement, safety and security, and management and operations.  

The All Students Achieving Planconveys Burlington Township School District's Values, Mission, Vision, Goals, and annual Objectives in a one-page, simple, and compelling document. The plan, modeled upon the United Airlines Go Forward Plan, and the process that supports it are the driving force behind all school and district improvement efforts in Burlington Township.  

The plan itself is used as a "dashboard" to gauge progress throughout the year, and includes the use of regular "Flash Reports" to promote data-driven decision making. Each year the plan is constantly revisited and results evaluated in a systematic manner, with input from various school community stakeholders. The process culminates each year in a District Strategic Planning Convocation in which staff, administrators, Board Members, and others celebrate progress, learn, and plan for the future.   

Manno, a prolific writer and noted author of curriculum-related materials, believes an educator should never leave the classroom. Over the years, he has taught and facilitated various workshops and classes to current and aspiring school leaders that focus on leadership, strategic planning, process management, and instituting change. 

A NJASA member since 1998, Manno has served on the NJASA Executive Committee, the NJASA Curriculum and Instruction Committee and the NJASA Achievement Gap Committee. Currently, he is serving his second term as President of the Burlington County Association of School Administrators (BCASA). Last year he revamped the County Roundtable meeting format to streamline the delivery of information, to include a Leading and Learning component of each meeting, and to foster more collaboration between Chief Education Officers. 

At the local level, he is an active Burlington Rotarian and is the project chair for the Rotary Start Kids Smart Program, which each year provides backpacks and school supplies to children of needy families in Burlington Township and Burlington City. Manno, also formed aSchools and Faith-Based Roundtable – agroup of pastors and other faith-based partners – who come together several times a year to discuss their common vision for improving and serving the community. 

Each NJASA Regional Superintendent of the Year winner was judged on the following qualifications: 1) minimum of five years experience as a chief education officer; 2) record of service within their respective county affiliate and NJASA; and 3) distinguished record as an educator. 

The next step in the process for the three regional winners will be the selection of a New Jersey candidate to participate in the American Association of School Administrators’ (AASA) National Superintendent of the Year Award. A committee of NJASA Past Presidents will select the 2013 New Jersey Superintendent of the Year.

The program, established in 1988 and sponsored by ARAMARK Education, ING Foundation, and AASA, is open to all public school superintendents in the United States and overseas. 

The selection qualifications for the State and National Superintendent of the Year include: meeting the needs of their students, demonstrated communication strength, a commitment to professional development and growth, and significant community involvement. Additionally, at the state and regional levels, NJASA has a fifth qualification that addresses service to the Association. 

AASA will announce the National Superintendent of the Year at its Annual Conference on Education in February 2013. The recipient of this prestigious honor will receive a $10,000 college scholarship for a student at the high school where the superintendent graduated. 

NJASA Central Regional Superintendent of the Year Manno is a proud Burlington Township resident where he has lived with his wife, Melissa, and four children for twelve years. Manno and his family are all proud Burlington Township Falcons!

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