Press Releases

Newark Board of Education Hosts The 1st Annual Women’s Leadership Conference

This past Saturday, March 19, 2022, the Newark Board of Education’s Deputy Superintendent, Nicole T. Johnson, proudly hosted The First Annual Women’s Leadership Conference: Embrace. Empower. Elevate. The conference, open to current and aspiring women leaders in the district – attracted more than 350 registered participants. Deputy Superintendent Johnson opened the conference and embraced the women leaders with a powerful message: “You are a wonder-woman! We are ALL wonder-women!” This declaration set the tone for the event, centering the ideals of purpose, mentorship, and authenticity, for each woman leader and speaker who followed.

To kick off the day’s guest speakers, special messages were shared by Superintendent Roger León, Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Board President Dawn Haynes, and were followed by renowned women leaders throughout the country. Superintendent León began by stating, “I take this opportunity to recognize our Deputy Superintendent for her incredible leadership and her steadfastness with regards to the importance of this very important event.” Soon after, New Jersey State Senator M. Teresa Ruiz spoke to the importance of representation and shared, “If you are not at the table, then you are part of the menu.”

Breakout sessions allowed those in attendance to choose their path for the remainder of the conference, with session titles such as Leading for Justice through Radical Care, Leading with Your Authentic Story, and Women at the Forefront and Nexus of Change. Throughout the event, all participants engaged with presenters and one another through lively discussions and the conversations continued on social media with the hashtag #NBOEWLConference2022. Keynote Speaker Judge Victoria Pratt, author of The Power of Dignity, elevated each woman leader to know her worth and reminded her that “The question is not who is going to let me but who is going to stop me.”

The online response to the virtual conference was extremely positive with attendees flooding the district’s timeline with images of quotes from speakers and posting images of themselves within the event’s online filter-frame. Women spoke to how empowered they felt and the takeaways they had from each presenter. A majority of the attendees shared that they felt a large sense of community in spending Saturday morning amongst like-minded leaders.

In alignment with The Next Decade: 2020-30 Strategic Plan Priority 4: Continuous Learning for All, the Women’s Leadership Conference manifested the district’s investment in the potential and development of highly effective leaders. The conference was a historic event and a meaningful learning experience for all who attended. At the close of the conference, Deputy Superintendent Johnson stated, “This year’s conference was an opportunity for aspiring and current women leaders to come together in this powerful and collaborative learning environment. The theme this year was intentional and timely. Now, more than ever, we must embrace, empower, and elevate ourselves and one another as we develop skills needed to ignite impact!”

Women at the Forefront & Nexus of Change - Dr. Chris Pernell
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Women at the Forefront & Nexus of Change - Dr. Chris Pernell
She Leads - The Women’s Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership - Dr. Rachael George and Majalise Tolan
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She Leads - The Women’s Guide to a Career in Educational Leadership - Dr. Rachael George and Majalise Tolan
Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Schools - Dr. Rosa Rivera McCutchen
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Radical Care: Leading for Justice in Schools - Dr. Rosa Rivera McCutchen
Purpose Driven Women in Leadership - Dr. Kate Anderson Foley
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Purpose Driven Women in Leadership - Dr. Kate Anderson Foley
Leading School Through A Pandemic - Karisa DeSantis
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Leading School Through A Pandemic - Karisa DeSantis
Leading with Your Authentic Story - Dr. Lauren Wells & Dr. Tonya Breland
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Leading with Your Authentic Story - Dr. Lauren Wells & Dr. Tonya Breland
Equipping Girls to Live Boldly, Dream Big, & Fly High - Joy Lindsay
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Equipping Girls to Live Boldly, Dream Big, & Fly High - Joy Lindsay
Embrace and Unleash Your Leadership Potential - Valarie Willis
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Embrace and Unleash Your Leadership Potential - Valarie Willis
Download the event program here
Session Documents
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Grab-n-Go Breakfast Cart Unveiled at Newark School of Global Studies by Darius Slayton of the New York Giants

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[NEWARK, N.J. (March 11, 2022)] On Thursday, March 10th at 9:00 am, the Newark School of Global Studies unveiled a new Grab-n-Go breakfast cart, courtesy of GENYOUth, a national non-profit organization dedicated to creating healthier school communities. The breakfast cart, which includes a milk cooler and cooler bags, is being funded by PRWeek through GENYOUth's "End Student Hunger Fund" in partnership with the American Dairy Association North East (ADANE). The unveiling is celebrated as part of National School Breakfast Week with an appearance from New York Giants wide receiver, Darius Slayton in the school's cafeteria located at 24 Crane Street, Newark, NJ.

"In Newark, we understand the importance of our students’ well-being and the link between health and academic performance, along with the importance of a healthy school environment" stated Superintendent Roger León. "We thank GENYOUth, PRWeek and ADANE for their generous donation that helps us expand our school breakfast offerings, and provides more students access to healthy food options and more opportunities to fuel their minds for learning."

GENYOUth has been combatting food insecurity within schools through their Grab-n-Go breakfast cart program since 2017. Through their breakfast cart, they provide an alternative meal delivery model that drives greater student engagement by addressing the challenges hindering participation. These include lack of time, convenience, and the stigma associated with school breakfast in the cafeteria. Currently, there are over 500 GENYOUth-funded meal carts in American public schools, which have helped to increase average daily participation by as much as 27% and to expand access to 50 million school meal opportunities.

"Grab and go breakfast carts help ensure that a nutritious start to the day is available for all students," said Dawn Haynes, President of the Newark Board of Education. "We couldn't be any more grateful to GENYOUth, PRWeek and American Dairy Association North East for their generous donation of new school meal equipment to the Newark School of Global Studies."

The statistics surrounding food insecurity for children in Newark and New Jersey overall underscore the need for a concerted effort to ensure meals are easily and readily accessible. One in five New Jersey children live in poverty, and in Newark Public Schools, students of color represent 91.6%, with 80.4% of students qualifying for free and reduced meals based on household income.

"Nationally, one in six children lives in food insecurity, and in school districts serving a higher percentage of Black and Hispanic students such as Newark, the number is closer to one in three. Schools are anchors of community nutrition, and we need to support them and provide the equipment they need to increase access and grow participation in the school meal program." said registered dietitian Ann Marie Krautheim, President and Chief Wellness Officer of GENYOUth. "We cannot end student hunger without the support of committed partners, and I want to thank PRWeek for their generous donation of a new school breakfast cart and other much needed equipment, as well as American Dairy Association North East and the dairy farmer community for stepping up to tackle hunger."

Students of Global Studies, the captains of the district's high school football teams, their coaches representing Barringer, Central, East Side, Malcolm X Shabazz, Weequahic, West Side High Schools, and members of the audience, participated in early-morning warm-up exercises in anticipation of the unveiling; the morning was off to a great start. "I am proud to be a part of this community initiative in Newark," said New York Giants wide receiver Darius Slayton. "As a professional football player, I am passionate about the role nutrition plays in shaping healthy lives, both on and off the field. So, I proudly support programs that make it easier for students to get a healthy breakfast and be more active, ultimately allowing them to reach their full potential."

"Purposeful communication and purposeful business is one of the biggest agenda points for the brands and businesses that PRWeek covers, and we'll be digging deep into these issues at our annual PRDecoded conference in Chicago on October 11-12. But, as well as covering purpose as an issue, it's important for PRWeek to walk the walk too - and we are delighted to support GENYOUth's excellent work in helping young people and combating food insecurity," said Steve Barrett, VP, editorial director, PRWeek & Campaign.

Newark Public Schools in alignment with the Newark Board of Education graciously receives the donation provided from GENYOUth and PRWeek with the help of Mr. Slayton. As we continue to promote healthy living to our students and implement invaluable knowledge to assist them in living full lives, this is just a small but momentous step forward.

About Newark Board of Education
The Newark Public School District is the largest and one of the oldest school systems in New Jersey. Its origin dates back to 1676. Barringer High School, in Newark’s North Ward, is the third oldest public high school in the nation. The racial and ethnic diversity of the city provides a rich educational experience for pre-kindergarten to secondary school students. The district continues to revise its services to meet the changing needs of students. For more information visit https://newark.apppresser.com/.

About GENYOUth
GENYOUth is a 501c3 nonprofit organization that creates healthier school communities. We convene a network of private and public partners, including Fortune 100 companies and foundations, to raise funds for youth wellness initiatives that give youth the inspiration, motivation, and programs to be healthy high-achieving students. GENYOUth’s flagship program, Fuel Up to Play 60, enrolls over 73,000 U.S. schools, reaching over 38 million students. Our school nutrition grants increase access to healthy school meals among food insecure students. NFL FLAG-In-School is GENYOUth’s fastest growing program with over 25,000+ school communities reaching over 15 million students. AdVenture Capital brings out the entrepreneurial spirit and creativity of students with the support of corporate mentors to solve real world problems. And starting in 2021, GENYOUth has been the official charitable partner of Taste of the NFL, a purpose-driven Super Bowl culinary experience which raises awareness and generates funds to fight hunger and food insecurity. For more information on GENYOUth, visit www.genyouthnow.org.

About American Dairy Association North East (ADANE)
American Dairy Association North East (ADANE) is the local affiliate of the National Dairy Council® and the regional consolidation of three promotion organizations including the American Dairy Association and Dairy Council, Inc., Mid-Atlantic Dairy Association and Pennsylvania Dairy Promotion Program. Committed to nutrition education and research-based communications, ADANE provides science-based nutrition information to, and in collaboration with, a variety of stakeholders committed to fostering a healthier nation, including health professionals, educators, school nutrition directors, academia, industry, consumers and media. Funded by dairy checkoff dollars from nearly 10,000 dairy farm families in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, and northern Virginia, ADANE works closely with Dairy Management Inc.™ to bring a fully integrated promotion program to the North East region.

About PRWeek
PRWeek epitomizes the modern business publishing brand, spanning online, print, events, and social media, incorporating a paid-for content strategy and gated website. Launched in November 1998, it is the essential title for PR pros. PRWeek reflects an industry playing a more pivotal role than ever, not only in the marketing strategies of companies, brands, and organizations, but also within boardrooms and in the C-suite. In the transparent world epitomized by social media, corporate reputation is crucial. Executives need timely, authoritative, insightful content to navigate this landscape — that's where PRWeek comes in. Breaking news, analysis, and opinion fuels PRWeek's content. And the brand extends into the iconic PRWeek Awards, annual conferences, roundtables, webcasts, and virtual forums. For more, visit prweek.com.

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Superintendent León Meets with High School Redesign Strategy Partners

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Since the introduction of the first high school academy in 2019, Superintendent León convened the principals of the comprehensive high schools, their magnet school partners along with their post-secondary education and industry partners on Wednesday, March 2, 2022.   The meeting began with a re-introduction of the Superintendent’s “Reinvest, Reinvigorate, and Return” Strategy which focuses on successful high school redesign. “Within this design, the focus will benefit middle, primary, and early childhood schools,” stated Superintendent León. “The point in all of this is impressing upon everyone the importance of children being in school healthy and ready-to-learn.”

The Superintendent provided the group with an overview of the district’s feeder schools strategy and school choice, using Science Park High School as a model.  He explained how students enrolling in the newly-opened Sir Isaac Newton Elementary School, would automatically be granted admission to Science Park High School once they completed 8th grade. This will ensure that those students who were involved and interested in pursuing the sciences could continue their pursuit until they applied for college. This feeder pattern allows students to have more opportunities for career advancement, starting at a fundamental point in their academic journey.

Through the Newark Enrolls process, students and families have the option of choosing what works best for them; allowing for long-term planning. For example, students interested in pursuing a career in education have a choice of attending the Teacher Academy at East Side High School, or its magnet school partner University High School.  Through a partnership with Montclair State University and their Department of Teaching and Learning, students can earn up to 30 college credits through a dual-enrollment program. Among other things, students are provided academic coaching and given the tools to properly prepare for a career in academia. As a result of this program, Newark Public Schools has been able to employ its former students to return and teach within the district.

Dr. Mayida Zaal, of Montclair State University, shared “This year, we will be surveying students and inviting them to focus groups to understand their aspirational goals and to gauge their interest in the profession, and also to help us think about how we remove a lot of the obstacles and barriers. We will be working on enhancing the curriculum for the Teacher Academy. Now that we are at the three-year mark, this is an opportunity for teachers to get together and co-construct the curriculum, observe each other's classrooms, share resources and ideas.”

Other partners such as Giselle Morell of Parsons School of Design, Sue Gibson of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, and President, Darrell Terry of Beth Israel Medical Center – just to name a few, spoke about the many ways they are currently working as partners to ensure that the students of Newark Public Schools have as many opportunities as possible. Through the High School Redesign Strategy, the resources provided to these students will change how they interact with education forever. Keeping in line with the district’s mission statement, as seen in The Next Decade 2020-30; Newark Public Schools is keeping up with their promise to “deliver an academically rigorous and culturally responsive instructional program that prepares every student for success and builds knowledge, strengthens character, cultivates ingenuity, and fosters leadership.”

District Partners in attendance were Beth Israel Medical Center/RWJ Barnabas Health, Dirty Soles Footwear Group, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Google Creative Lab, Kean University, Macro Hall Designs, Mattel, Milestone, Misa Hylton Fashion Academy, Montclair State University, National Medical Fellowship, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Parsons School of Design, PSE&G, Rutgers Business School, Rutgers Law School, Rutgers School of Health Professions, Turner Construction Company, United Airlines, United Planet, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration.

NJSDA and NJDOE Award Newark Public Schools $6 Million for Emergent and Capital Maintenance Projects

Newark, NJ [February 16, 2022] –Through contributions from the New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE) and the New Jersey Schools Development Authority (SDA), Newark Public Schools will be able to address three of their emergent projects within the school district. Recognizing the challenges that districts face in making repairs to school building structures, Governor Murphy made a direct appropriation of $75 million to districts across New Jersey, and the Newark Board of Education received an allocation of $6,455,930 to assist in their improvements.  The funding is designed to offset district costs associated with taking important measures to ensure that students and staff have a safe and healthy learning environment.

Newark Public Schools has identified three schools within the district that meet the criteria and guidelines for emergent projects and that have been approved by the SDA and NJDOE; specifically, roof replacements and masonry repairs at Sir Isaac Newton Elementary School, Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School, and West Side High School.

“We are pleased that Newark was chosen as a recipient of this grant and we will use the monies to make repairs to the three schools identified, which have suffered water infiltration and damage to walls and ceilings over time,” said Superintendent Roger León. “This generous award will allow us to strengthen those key structures” he added.

“The Newark Board of Education is more than appreciative of these contributions made to our schools by the NJDOE and the SDA. Improvements such as these typically come at the expense of having to cut back on other opportunities,” said Board President, Dawn Haynes. “With the assistance of the NJDOE and SDA, we have been able to reallocate funds to other important initiatives that positively influence the culture and climate of our schools for students”.

AFT Grants Stipend to East Side and University High School Students in the Red Hawks Rising Teacher Academy Program

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[Newark, NJ - February 15, 2022] What started as a conversation in 2019 to create a pipeline of internal teacher candidates by developing them from the high school student population has now come to fruition due to the continuous dedication and groundwork of Superintendent Roger León, President of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Randi Weingarten, and recently appointed President of Montclair State University (MSU), Jonathan Koppell. A meaningful course of action was decided upon that evolved into the Red Hawks Rising Teacher Academy implemented at East Side and University High Schools. The program is strategically centered to benefit the students, the district, and the community while at the same time, helping to address the constant challenge of teacher shortages.

Superintendent Roger León was excited to see the dream become a reality. He shared, “We are redefining education in Newark by creating something for the next decade and we are doing it simultaneously as our students are preparing for their futures.”

The Red Hawks Rising Teacher Academy is a dual enrollment program, with a student cohort at East Side and another at its magnet school partner, University High School. Montclair State University (MSU) serves as its post-secondary education partner and the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) as its industry partner. The two high schools have been working together since 2019 to ensure that Newark Public Schools has a pathway for students with a passion for teaching that inspires future educators and advocates for social justice and one day return to the district as full-time employees.

Yesterday, February 14, 2022, at East Side High School, an announcement was made of providing a stipend for participants of the program. Joined by Superintendent León were both partners of the program, Koppell, President of MSU, and Weingarten, President of AFT. Students who complete the program in the spring will receive a stipend of $1200 and those students who complete the program in the summer will receive a stipend of $2500, generosity of the AFT. Weingarten said, “We thought the most important thing we could do, is to create the conditions that allow you to make a difference in the lives of others.”

The start of the dual enrollment courses is to begin in the spring of 2022. Students who are juniors and enrolled in their third year of the Academy will start taking dual enrollment courses. When complete, they will have earned 30 college credits. Each year will offer a different Work-Based Learning (WBL) experience in an elementary school within the district. This year, the Academy students will be working with 6th-grade classes at Oliver Street Elementary School and 8th-grade classes at Ann Street Elementary School.

“At Montclair State University, we have a long history of training and preparing teachers. I am excited about the future of our program's participants as they venture into becoming teachers because they are going to be in a position to do something that gives extra special meaning to their own lives,” said President Koppell.

During yesterday’s announcement, Superintendent León took the time to restate his commitment to issuing contracts to all students who complete the program and all requirements to become a teacher.