Sponsored by:
Assemblyman JAY WEBBER
District 26 (Essex, Morris and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
Allows Governor to remove executive county superintendent of schools at will.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the removal of executive county superintendents and amending N.J.S.18A:7-1.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. N.J.S.18A:7-1 is amended to read as follows:
18A:7-1. a. The Governor, upon the recommendation of the commissioner and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint for each county, a suitable person, who holds an appropriate certificate issued pursuant to this title and who has been a resident of the State for at least three years immediately preceding the appointment, to be the executive county superintendent of schools, who shall serve[, unless sooner removed pursuant to law,] at the pleasure of the Governor for a term of three years. The superintendent may be re-appointed by the Governor on the basis of a satisfactory performance assessment required pursuant to subsection b. of this section. A person who is serving as a county superintendent of schools on the effective date of sections 42 to 58 of P.L.2007, c.63 (C.18A:7-11 et al.), shall be eligible for appointment as the executive county superintendent of schools. The executive county superintendent of schools shall report to the Commissioner of Education or to a person designated by the commissioner.
b. An executive county superintendent shall be subject to at least one performance assessment during the three-year term. The performance of the superintendent shall be assessed by the Commissioner of Education based on the ability of the superintendent to monitor and promote administrative and operational efficiencies and cost savings within the school districts located in the county, while enhancing the effectiveness of the districts in providing a thorough and efficient system of education, and on their monitoring of the school districts in the five key components of school district effectiveness under the New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum: instruction and program; personnel; fiscal management; operations; and governance. In establishing the standards for assessing the performance of the superintendent in facilitating administrative efficiencies, the commissioner shall include such factors as administrator-to-teacher ratios, administrator-to-student ratios, per-pupil administrative expenditures, and improved student educational outcomes.
(cf: P.L.2007, c.63, s.42)
2. This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill clarifies the position of executive county superintendent of schools by stating that the position is an at will appointment and consequently can be terminated without cause by the Governor at any time before the expiration of the superintendent’s three year term. In the event that the Governor exercises this authority, the position is to be filled in the same manner as any other vacancy of the position as described in N.J.S.18A:7-2 and section 55 of P.L.2007, c.63 (C.18A:7-13).