Advocacy

State and National

State of New Jersey

NJAIS is a member of the NJ Nonpublic Schools Advisory Committee, which works closely with the Department of Nonpublic Schools, a department that sits within the NJ Department of Education. The advisory committee meets regularly to discuss pending legislation and items of import, advocating for nonpublic schools throughout the state. Frequent topics include security, technology, nursing, and transportation, among myriad others.

When required, NJAIS contacts member schools to invite them to participate in advocacy opportunities, such as contacting the state legislature with regard to pending legislation that could affect independent schools.

NJAIS shares a quarterly Legislative Bulletin with heads of member schools, providing a synopsis of the bills that have been introduced in the current legislative session.

National

On the national level, NJAIS advocates for outstanding independent (private) schools as a vital part of the K-12 educational landscape in the US. We accomplish our national work through our membership in the New Jersey state chapter of CAPE (Council for American Private Education), as well as our participation in ICAISA (International Council Advancing Independent School Accreditation), and speaking engagements at national and regional conferences. The following areas are additional touch-points for NJAIS, at the national level and beyond

How it Looks

Public Purpose

We communicate the public purpose of private schools; their effectiveness at producing informed, caring and committed citizens; their role in educating the public at considerable savings to taxpayers; their immediate accountability to parents; and their promotion of the common good.

Policy

We provide lawmakers and policymakers with information on matters of interest and concern to private schools (such as: school choice, educational excellence and pluralism, learning technology, and more). Through our NJ CAPE chapter membership, we ensure that Congress, the Administration, the U.S. Department of Education and other government agencies ensure consideration of the private school perspective when they are considering policy decisions.

Regional and National Networks

We attend meetings, sponsor meetings, and collaborate on programming with other networks and associations in our region, forming strong bonds that strengthen and amplify New Jersey's voice beyond state boundaries.

Publishing and Publicizing

We publish a blog that addresses private education, provide resource documents that are accessed by educators and leaders within and beyond the boundaries of New Jersey, and provide e-mail updates on policy issues to our newsletter subscribers.

Website

Our website provides information for the general public regarding private education.