“I very much believe in the saying, it doesn’t matter what you do or say, it matters how we make you feel,” Lawrence said in an interview. “In my last speech [as NJSBA president], I said, ‘I hope you felt me. I hope you felt us. I hope you felt this year that we see you, we care about you, and we are here for you.’”

It’s not the first time Lawrence has charted a new course.