Nicholas James Dotoli

Following the completion of his graduate studies, Mr. Dotoli began his career in New Jersey State Government in 1997 as an aide to the New Jersey Assembly Education Committee.  As chief aide to the Chair, Mr. Dotoli assisted in significant educational policy initiatives including legislation to implement the Supreme Court’s Abbott v. Burke decision.  Additionally, Mr. Dotoli assisted in legislative initiatives relative to early childhood education, charter school formation, inter-district public school choice, school construction, teacher professional development, as well as alternative monitoring mechanisms for public school districts.  As both an education policy analyst, licensed school administrator and legislative aide, Mr. Dotoli brings with him significant experience in the legislative process including bill drafting, appearance before Legislative Joint Committees and experience working with a number of New Jersey’s major lobbying firms.

In 2000, Mr. Dotoli was invited to join the State Department of Education and served as a policy advisor to the Commissioner.  In this capacity, Mr. Dotoli began a process of strategic planning for the state-operated school districts using both student achievement data and district expenditure analysis to benchmark a return to local control.  Most recently, Mr. Dotoli served as a member of the regulations committee for the recently implemented New Jersey Quality Single Accountability Continuum (NJQSAC).  Mr. Dotoli served as the department’s operation leader for an external consultant team of this new monitoring system in selected low performing school districts.  He has authored an executive summary of these recommendations for the Commissioner. 

In 2008, Mr. Dotoli joined New Jersey’s largest education law firm concentrating in general board of education representation including: student residency hearings, executive session briefings and general legal guidance relative to personnel and board of education oversight.  Additionally, Mr. Dotoli’s responsibilities include representation before the Government Records Council, the Public Employment Relations Commission, the Office of Administrative Law and the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights.  Mr. Dotoli has successfully represented boards with respect to the prosecution of employee tenure charges, successfully arbitrated before the Department of Labor and has successfully adjudicated claims against board members before the School Ethics Commission.

Following his 2011 appointment as General Counsel and Director of Human Resources & Labor Relations, Mr. Dotoli was named Interim Superintendent of Schools for the Bloomfield Township Board of Education on May 7, 2013 and, in this capacity, oversees approximately 6,300 pupils, 1200 employees and a $100 million dollar annual budget.