Credit: (Hannah Gross/NJ Spotlight News)

After being the center of high-profile debates over student performance and the rights of LGBTQ+ students, New Jersey’s State Board of Education is changing for the upcoming school year.

The board voted unanimously to reelect Kathy Goldenberg of Moorestown as president, a position she has held since 2019. She will lead the 13-member board tasked with setting codes and regulations for New Jersey’s public schools. Goldenberg will be joined by Vice President Nedd James Johnson, who unanimously won his first election to leadership. Both have served on the board since 2017 and are currently sitting in expired seats.

“I am honored to have been selected by my colleagues on the State Board to serve as vice president. I enter this new role not only as a State Board member for seven years, but also as a lifelong educator, administrator and former district board of education member,” Johnson said.

Johnson replaces former board member Andy Mulvihill as vice president. Mulvihill served on the board since 2011, with several years in leadership. As part of a more conservative wing of the board, Mulvihill was among the most vocal in pushing back against the Murphy administration’s initiatives to adjust passing scores for the state’s tests and implement new sex education standards.

Murphy nominee sworn in

Credit: (Hannah Gross/NJ Spotlight News)

Claudine Keenan, dean of education at Stockton University, was sworn in on Wednesday to replace Mulvihill on the board in a term that ends on June 30, 2027. Her nomination faced strong resistance from Republican lawmakers and conservative activists who wanted Mulvihill to remain on the board. Keenan brings a lot of experience with teacher preparation to the board, and said she is looking forward to becoming more involved in other aspects of education.

Board member Sylvia Sylvia-Cioffi resigned as of June 30, leaving her seat vacant.

The board also has a new nonvoting student member to represent the state’s 1.4 million public school students. Anna Paszkiewicz is a rising senior at Palmyra High School who said she intends to bring varied student perspectives to the board for consideration.

“I understand the importance of this position. Speaking on behalf of the students of the entire state is no small feat, but I’m extremely excited and ready to take on this role,” Paszkiewicz said.

More time for public testimony?

As the composition of the board changes, members are also preparing to update the board’s policies on public testimony. Board members discussed removing the two-hour limit on public testimony to allow more members of the public to give input on proposed rules.

The State Board of Education sets the rules required to implement education law. The governor is responsible for appointing the 13 members of the board with the advice and consent of the state Senate. Members serve six-year terms.

“State Board of Education members serve selflessly and without remuneration to advance public education in New Jersey,” said acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer. “Each State Board member brings a unique perspective and their personal expertise to the table.”

Expired terms

Many of the current board members’ terms are expired, and Gov. Phil Murphy has been slow to name new members during his six years in office. His first nominees, Mary Bennett and Jeanette Peña, were seated in January 2024.

Another appointee, Ahmed Shehata, was confirmed by the Senate but has yet to be sworn in as a replacement for Fatimah Burnam-Watkins for a term that expires on June 30, 2029. Shehata is the assistant superintendent of business for Clifton Public Schools. His swearing-in would bring Murphy’s total number of nominees to four, still a minority on the board.

Several other nominees have yet to win Senate confirmation. The nomination of Serena Rice, a pastor at Abiding Peace Lutheran Church, cleared the Senate Judiciary Committee but has yet to come up for a vote in the full Senate, which typically takes a break during the summer months. Rice would replace Jack Fornaro, who has served on the board since 2011. Her term would expire on June 30, 2029.

James Williams, director of racial justice policy at Fair Share Housing Center, was nominated to replace Elaine Bobrove on the board for a term that would have expired on June 30, 2024. His nomination was referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee but never came up for a vote.

Murphy can still nominate more board members to serve before the end of his second term in January 2026.