Tag Archives: mental health

Pandemic Amplifies Challenges in North Brunswick Twp.

June 5, 2020UncategorizedCares Act, CDC, charter school funding, charter schools, chief education officers, child care, community outreach, coronavirus, COVID-19, daily broadcast, Digital Divide, Dr. Brian Zychowski, Dr. Richard Bozza, education leaders, education network, governor's guidance, governor's leadership, hand sanitizer, impossible to open schools, in seat learning, less schedules, less space, local community needs, Mayor Francis M. Womack III, mental health, New Jersey, NJASA, North Brunswick Twp. Schools, nurses, PPE, re-open schools, recognition programs, remote learning, Rutgers, RWJ Barnabas Healthcare, safely educate children, social distancing, summer camps, superintendents, T-Mobile hotspot, vaccineNJASA

COVID-19 didn’t change what North Brunswick Twp. Schools were doing, but it called for new leadership skillsets to inspire creative solutions to address the district’s pandemic challenges. Chief Education Officer Dr. Brian Zychowski connected with T-Mobile and was awarded a grant for 4,000+ mobile hotspots ensuring internet access to its diversified student population. This effort closed the digital divide and provides a fair and equitable education to all its students.

The district cooks and distributes 8,000 daily breakfasts and lunches, 6 days a week. Their nurses are working on a team with Rutgers University Behavioral Health to reach out to students and staff experiencing anxiety and depression caused by the pandemic, as well as other emotional and mental health concerns.

Dr. Zychowski also partners with the mayor on daily broadcasts, not only sharing information but honoring students and staff.

In this podcast, Executive Director Dr. Richard Bozza talks with Dr. Zychowski about re-allocating their 2020-2021 budgets to satisfy the PPE and disinfecting expenses, funding North Brunswick Twp.’s charter schools, and the impossible task of reopening schools under the current social distancing requirements. Visit njasa.net to join us in exploring best practices together.

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Team of Technical Wizards Helps NJ Public School District Thrive

May 22, 2020Uncategorizedchief education officers, coronavirus, COVID-19, Digital Divide, Dr. Michael Salvatore, Dr. Richard Bozza, Facebook Live, Future Ready Schools, geofence, high school graduations, Long Branch School District, mental health, Monmouth Medical Center, National Alliance for Excellent Education, New Jersey, new normal, NJASA, schools’ September outlook, social emotional health, state aid, state budget reimbursement, superintendents, virtual graduationsNJASA

Long Branch Public Schools were “Future Ready” long before the pandemic, thanks to a massive technology reorganization spearheaded by Chief Education Officer Dr. Michael Salvatore. With the Future Ready Schools initiative, the district successfully interrupted the digital divide, providing equal access to high quality content which set the stage for distance learning during COVID-19. Salvatore credits his team of technical wizards who pivot constantly to ensure access continues. In addition to academics, the district is meeting social-emotional needs with mental health outreach, and creative ways for students to celebrate milestones from prom to graduation. In this podcast, NJASA Executive Director Dr. Richard Bozza talks with Dr. Salvatore, NJASA’s 2019 Superintendent of the Year, about key actions that helped his district during these challenging times. Visit njasa.net to join us in exploring best practices together.

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NJ Public School Superintendent Puts Past Crisis Skills to Work During Pandemic

May 15, 2020Uncategorizedantibody testing, back to work solutions, Bound Brook School District, chief education officers, communication alerts, coronavirus, counseling, COVID-19, data research, Dr. Daniel Gallagher, Dr. Richard Bozza, high school graduations, licensed clinical social workers, mental health, New Jersey, new normal, NJASA, research based practices, schools’ September outlook, social emotional health, state aid, state budget reimbursement, superintendents, testing, testing financials, virtual graduationsNJASA

As we continue to cope with the COVID-19 crisis, NJASA Executive Director Dr. Richard Bozza talks with NJASA Somerset County Executive Committee Representative Dr. Daniel Gallagher, Chief Education Officer, Bound Brook. The resilient district of Bound Brook was the site of the first confirmed case of Enterovirus EV-D68 in 2014. Dr. Gallagher put his crisis skills to work – including the rigorous cleaning protocols and frequent communications that helped his district successfully navigate the past outbreak. With COVID-19, the District is expanding access to Internet hot spots, antibody testing for staff and mental health concerns for students. He addressed a digital divide, accounted for diverse student needs, and more. Visit njasa.net to join us in exploring best practices together.

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Staying Connected in Union County School District, NJ

April 23, 2020Uncategorizedawards events, chief education officers, Christian Bollwage, coronavirus, COVID-19, Department of Education, distance learning, Dr. Richard Bozza, Education, educational collaboration, Elizabeth School District, homeschooling, J. Christian (Chris) Bollwage, Mayor of Elizabeth, mental health, New Jersey, new normal, NJASA, Olga Hugelmeyer, prom, public schools, school leaders, school psychologists, schools, social workers, superintendents, Technology, technology in education, virtual graduationNJASA

In a matter of days, the Elizabeth school district had to get remote learning materials to 29,000 students. Chief Education Officer Olga Hugelmeyer and her team made it happen. The district reached out to Altice, which offered free internet access for families that had none. For PreK to grade 2, teachers developed packets, which were printed and mailed to families. Working with Elizabeth Mayor Chris Bollwage, the district set up a breakfast and lunch pick-up and delivery program. The district also reached out through social workers and guidance counselors for mental health support. Already, the district has lost four teachers and one of its support staff to COVID-19. In this podcast, NJASA Executive Director Dr. Richard Bozza talks with Hugelmeyer about the challenges and successes, including examples other districts can follow. Visit njasa.net to join us in exploring best practices together.

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