Fair Lawn School Board Honored by State Group

The Fair Lawn Board of Education was recently recognized by the New Jersey School Boards Association for getting certified through their board member academy.

The process required board members to spend 18 hours going over topics like ethics, negotiations, goal-setting and self-evaluation, among others, on Saturdays, according to board member Mary Wallace.

"It was a wonderful experience for us," she said.

Al Annunziata, a field service rep from the NJSBA, said he enjoys working with "dedicated and motivated" board members like those in Fair Lawn.

"You folks in Fair Lawn... really exemplify that," Annunziata said.

Board member John Mancinelli, who has been on the board for 20 years, was also recognized by the NJSBA and named a "certified board leader," a distinction only given to 27 people ever, according to Annunziata.

The title requires many hours of training and a test to receive, he said.

"This isn't something that people just show up and get," Annunziata said.

The board has set a new goal going forward; they plan to renew their certification every three years and increase to "master board certification" with 10 additional hours of development.