THE SENTINEL: North Bergen School Administrators: Renewing Vision and Values

On Friday, May 16, 2008, I had the privilege of addressing the North Bergen School District administrators with two presentations titled Principles of Visionary Leadership for Educators as a Response to the Crisis of Character and New Jersey School Safety Best Practices: School Administrator Procedures.

The two sessions were a follow-up to my November 28, 2007 professional development day for these educators that addressed:

The need to transform our schools with security procedures inseparable from the development of a culture of character
Understanding the pulse of youth through online social networking sites and various modes of technology

Friday's first presentation punctuated the leadership development which took place in November and emphasized the important distinction between a repressive system of education rather than a preventive one.

REPRESSIVE SYSTEM
Making the rules known; watching for transgressions and inflicting punishment.

PREVENTIVE SYSTEM
Making the rules known; being present as a vigilant, caring educator; and offering guidance from the heart that expresses kindness, reasonableness and character.

The second presentation reviewed the New Jersey Commissioner of Education's Memorandum of October 2007 which focused on model policies on the topics of bomb threats, active shooter response, school lockdowns, school evacuations and public information. These policies were developed by the School Security Task Force and included recommendations for school administrator actions.

Throughout the day, the administrators were commended for their sacrifices for the youth entrusted to their care and encouraged to maintain their passion and purpose to fulfill the goal of the North Bergen Board of Education: