December 10, 2003
New OCHS coaches will be hired according to state code
By TOM WILLIAMS
Sports Columnist
Ocean City High School will hire two new head coaches within the next few months, the two people who
will head up the Raiders’ first boys and girls crew teams.
The last time OCHS hired a new head coach, you’ll remember, there was an unattractive debate that was
followed by a flow of misinformation. Lets see if we can help avoid that situation with the crew selections.
First of all, regardless of what you have read or heard, the decision to hire new girls cross country
coaches in September was not done because of pressure from the local teacher’s union, the Ocean City
Education Association (OCEA). It was done because the Ocean City Board of Education (BOE) is
required to follow New Jersey’s Administrative Code (NJAC).
This code was created by the 13-member State BOE, a group that currently includes nine members
appointed by the Whitman administration and four others who pre-date her election. “By law,” said Ron
Rice of the Department of Education, “at least three board members must be women and there may not be
two members from the same county.”
The current group includes the Dean of Livingston College, an attorney from Montville, a retired educator
from Toms River, a contract manager from Johnson & Johnson, a professor from Kean University, a former
principal from Trenton and a Veteran’s service officer, among others.
In May of 2001, the State BOE approved Code 6:11-3.24. It states that any person who is not certified as a
teacher and not in the employ of a district BOE shall not be hired as a coach. However, school districts
shall be permitted to employ any holder of a New Jersey teaching certificate as a coach provided that the
position is advertised.
In addition, if there is no qualified and certified applicant, the holder of a county substitute certificate is
authorized to serve as a coach in the district in which he or she is employed for a designated sports
season. To hire a substitute, however, it must be demonstrated to the county superintendent that the
coaching position has been advertised and there was no qualified applicant based on the written standards
of the district BOE.
That’s the rule, created by the New Jersey BOE, not the OCEA. In the case of the cross country job, you
may remember, no qualifications were listed. That means, according to the NJAC, that everybody is
assumed to be qualified. Consequently, if a certified teacher applied, that teacher must be hired over a
candidate who is not certified.
“The state board wants individual school districts to have some control over how they fill their positions,”
said Rice, “but they also want to insure consistency throughout the state. As much as possible, they want
people coaching who are trained in education.”
If you don’t like the rule, the New Jersey BOE holds a public meeting the first Wednesday of each month.
But the purpose of the rule is to support the idea that certified teachers, who deal with young people on a
daily basis, will be better coaches than those who are not in the classroom. The OCEA agrees with the
rule, you can be sure, and will make sure, like every other teacher’s group in the state, that it is followed.
Concerning the crew positions, qualifications were established. The school was looking for people with
college rowing experience and rowing references. Those with coaching experience, especially knowledge
and experience in starting a high school crew program, were preferred.
The deadline to apply was Nov. 10 and interviews followed. A decision should be forthcoming quite soon.
When the recommended candidates are determined by the professional educators – the school
administrators – and are presented to the Ocean City BOE for approval, the state administrative code will
have been followed. Just as it was in filling the girls cross country position.
And, by the way, that turned out pretty well, as that new South Jersey championship trophy will attest.
Read more of
Tom Williams' columns