Page 11 - 40thAnniversaryNJPSA

connects actionable steps to the core attributes within the
Professional Standards for Educational Leaders and the
Teacher Leader Model Standards to strengthen leadership skills.

FEA is now led by Dr. Donna McInerney, who succeeded
Doolan as CEO in 2018. Under Donna’s leadership, FEA
has been expanding its offerings to include the Equity in
Action Leadership Academy and the FEA Online Learning
Suite, which includes asynchronous courses designed
to give the users flexibility to take courses whenever and
wherever they choose. Donna has also led FEA through
the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting all professional learning,
NJEXCEL and NJTLC classes, and NJL2L peer group and
mentoring meetings to remote, online platforms. In fact, it
the years, have included the Rockefeller Foundation, Bill and was during the pandemic that FEA launched the new Teacher
Melinda Gates Foundation, Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation, Leader endorsement program, NJTLC, to further develop an
USDE, NJDOE, Overdeck Family Foundation, Princeton Area educational leadership pipeline that prepares educators as
Community Foundation, Nicholson Foundation, George H. teacher leaders by providing highly qualified teachers with the
and Estelle M. Sands Foundation, Burke Foundation, Charles leadership, knowledge, skills, competencies, and opportunities
Mott Foundation, Henry and Marilyn Taub Foundation, Met Life to significantly impact the continuous improvement of schools,
Resources, Washington Mutual, NJ Health Initiatives, and the teaching, and student learning. Donna has also led FEA to
NJ Pandemic Relief Fund, among others. strengthen partnerships with more than 275 NJ school districts
over the past three years, providing professional learning
Major grants won by NJPSA/FEA include a $5.1 million through in-person, virtual, and blended learning programs.
grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in
2000 to enhance the skills of school leaders to integrate McInerney says she is humbled and honored to serve as CEO
technology into the classrooms and curricula of New of FEA, particularly during these exciting, transformational
Jersey. This grant resulted in the creation of NJ ELITE and times. “I am inspired each and every day by the commitment
enabled principals to gain an understanding of how technology of our NJPSA members to the students of New Jersey,”
and instructional best practices can improve teaching and McInerney said. “Meaningful and relevant professional learning
learning. In 2013, FEA was awarded a $5 million USDOE provides us with opportunities and pathways to ensure
school leadership grant to support the high-needs equitable access to a high-quality education and high-quality
districts of Millville, Bridgeton, and Trenton over five outcomes for each and every student. In order to do that,
years. Under the direction of Dr. Mary Reece, Director of professional learning must be collaborative, job-embedded,
Special Projects, who wrote the grant proposal and directed sustained, data-driven, and interactive. Educator agency – the
its implementation, this project helped FEA build relationships power of educators to have a voice and take responsibility for
with school leaders in these three districts, providing numerous their own professional growth – is essential to this learning
professional learning programs, coaching, and the opportunity process. The commitment of the FEA staff to our members
to participate in NJEXCEL for principal and supervisory is nothing short of extraordinary, and it is this commitment of
certification. which I am most proud.”

When Tony Scannella retired in 2013, he was succeeded by
Dr. Jay Doolan, who had been Assistant Commissioner of
NJ Department of Education for many years before joining
FEA as Director of Professional Development. Jay continued
to expand FEA’s outreach and led the transition effort from
professional development, which can be characterized by a
singular, one-size-fits all approach that “happens to” educators,
to professional learning, which emphasizes collaborative,
sustained, inquiry-based learning. One of the signature FEA
programs developed during Dr. Doolan’s tenure was the New
Jersey Leadership Academy (NJLA), in partnership with the
NJ Association of School Administrators (NJASA). Now in its
eighth year, NJLA provides professional learning for teams of
educators over three sessions that encourages the sharing
of expertise across leadership roles and responsibilities and
provides a process for continuous improvement. The content