Mission

The Newark Board of Education Office of Early Childhood is committed to providing every 3- and 4-year old child, regardless of individual needs, with a high-quality Pre-K Education that also puts the health of children and the engagement of families at its core, by ensuring equal access to the opportunity to learn through developmentally-appropriate resources and services that promote children’s learning and development to ensure readiness for Kindergarten and beyond.

Vision

All 4-year olds leave Pre-K ready for Kindergarten, and with a love of learning. Parents and Families who experience Pre-K in Newark have the knowledge and skills to support and advocate for their children’s education and health for the long haul.

O.E.C. Goals

  • 1 Improve the quality of teaching and learning to ensure all students demonstrate readiness to transition to kindergarten.
  • 2 Ensure all students experience a school and classroom environment that furthers their academic knowledge and their functional, physical and social- emotional skills.
  • 3 Improve the well-being and quality of health for children and their families so children are able to thrive in Kindergarten and beyond.
  • 4 Increase child attendance and decrease chronic absenteeism so that all children develop the habit of attending school regularly, leading to success in kindergarten and ultimately opening doors to college.
  • 5 Improve family engagement systems to ensure all Newark Pre-K families are actively engaged at home, school and within their community.
Office of Early Childhood

Department Staff

Yolonda Severe

Executive Director

Marialana Juliano

Director for the Office of Early Childhood

Rose Stokes

Supervisor/Director of Head Start

Denise Cromwell

Supervisor of Comprehensive Services

Kia Andrews

Supervisor of Teacher Certification and Inclusive Services

Victoria Dampare

Supervisor of Inclusive Services

Mara Kaplan

Supervisor of Pre-K Child Assessments

Kimberly Ramsay

Early Childhood and Community Engagement and Safety