The New Jersey Joint Council of County Special Services School Districts (Joint Council) is proud to welcome its newest chairperson, Ms. Jamie Moscony, to lead the Joint Council with her future-focused vision. The Joint Council, which represents the state’s eight county special services school districts, welcomed Moscony to this role in the fall.
Moscony began her career at Cape May County Special Services School District (CMCSSSD) and held various roles including school social worker/case manager and crisis counselor. These experiences helped her prepare to move into leadership and take on her first administrative position as the principal of Atlantic County Alternative High School. She then went on to become a member of the Atlantic County Institute of Technology administrative team for ten years, where she held various positions including curriculum coordinator; apprenticeship coordinator; and director of curriculum, instruction and student services before becoming assistant superintendent at CMCSSSD four years ago. During the 2022-23 school year, Moscony was hired as the new superintendent for both Cape May County Special Services and Cape May County Technical School.
Through her participation in the Joint Council as Cape May County’s representative, Moscony had the opportunity to work alongside previous chairperson Dr. Howard Lerner, who is superintendent at Bergen County Special Services School District. Dr. Lerner served as the Joint Council chairperson for over 10 years.
“The Joint Council is fortunate to have Jamie’s leadership as we look toward the future,” said Dr. Lerner. “I am excited to see how the Joint Council continues to evolve as we carry out our important mission of making sure all students reach their own greatest potential.”
Moscony credits her drive to become chairperson to working with both Dr. Lerner and Dr. Philip Guenther from Atlantic County Special Services in various roles over the last 15 years. Being able to share best practices and programming ideas with them, as well as seeing their strong advocacy for special services school districts, has afforded her a unique opportunity. She hopes to pass these experiences along to the next generation of administrators through her leadership of the Joint Council. She aims to further foster a collaborative environment and emphasize the importance of schools and administrators learning from one another.
Moscony plans to expand opportunities for the districts to collaborate and share research and professional development with one another through virtual and in-person workshops with leaders in special education and postsecondary transition services. She hopes to advocate with the NJ Department of Education regarding teacher certifications and modifying the requirements to better align with what is needed to teach neurodivergent students. Working together to bolster the districts’ strategies for meeting today’s challenges of teacher recruitment and retainment is another priority for the Joint Council.
Additional goals include expanding programming for special needs students and continuing to stay on the cutting edge of innovative services to best meet their goals, while serving as a constant resource to families even after their student has graduated.
“We have unique districts that work with families and meet students where they are to provide innovative, individualized programs and remove barriers for our students,” says Moscony. “I look forward to continuing to work alongside this talented group of educators with a focus on doing our best for the students we serve.”