Press Releases

Newark Public Schools Launches “Teach Newark” Campaign

New Campaign Focuses on Recruiting Talented Educators to Meet Newark Schools’ Needs

 

[NEWARK, NJ – JANUARY 10, 2017] Newark Public Schools (NPS) is launching a recruitment campaign titled “Teach Newark: Where Passion Meets Progress” to recruit talented public school teachers to join the state’s largest district. The campaign website www.TeachNewark.com is going live today and will be available to inform educators who are interested in applying to teach in Newark for years to come. This year’s first application wave begins today and will continue through January 29. There will be subsequent application periods throughout the spring where educators can apply for open positions.

“We are excited to launch this Teach Newark Campaign because we believe that the Newark Public School district is one of the most exciting places to work in America,” noted Christopher D. Cerf, Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. “Student results in Newark show that the arrow is unambiguously pointed up for our schools and students, and as we move to transition the district back to local control, we think it is more important than ever to find great educators and leaders who want to be a part of that progress.”

The Teach Newark campaign is a way for the district to broaden and better focus the outreach of previous recruitment efforts. The campaign introduces a new website and set of online media and tools for potential educators to engage with to get a better idea of why they should teach in Newark. These include videos and testimonials with interviews of the Mayor, students, educators and school administrators from across the city. In addition to showing the passion and progress evident in Newark’s schools, these videos display the innovation and diversity in Newark schools, and provide applicants with information about Newark as a city on the rise.

“Newark Public Schools are winning. It’s all hands on deck,” notes Mayor Ras J. Baraka in one video. “There are a lot of people collaborating to figure out the best way to provide pipelines to success for our children…. it’s working.” The former Newark Principal continues in another video, “If you are trying to improve your craft and be the best you can be, come here and be a part of what we are creating in this community.”

The campaign comes at a time that data shows that Newark students are making significant progress. Newark now outperforms most similar districts in New Jersey in both reading and math, and when looking just at students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch, Newark students outperform all other large school districts in the US that take the PARCC exam. Newark’s high school graduation rate has also increased by nearly 20 percentage points in the past seven years (from the high 50s in 2010 to 78 percent in 2017).

“When we look at the progress being made by Newark students, it starts with our educators,” said Deputy Superintendent Robert Gregory. “That is why a campaign like this is so important. Educators are not only essential to the success of our schools they are also the backbone of any thriving community. We are lucky to have many great teachers here in Newark Schools already, but we are doubling down with this effort because we know how important they are for our kids.”

The Teach Newark campaign is a part of a comprehensive recruitment effort by the Newark Public Schools to develop a large and high quality candidate pool to ensure all teacher vacancies are filled before the start of school. Elements of this effort include: Posting vacancies on more than 100 university career websites; a social media campaign targeting potential candidates; a candidate referral program that provides bonuses to employees who refer new educators to NPS in hard to staff subjects; expanded on-campus college recruitment and career fairs; and of course coordinated phone calls and emails with teacher candidates and prospects to ensure they remain actively engaged and ready-to-hire. The goal is not only that these efforts will provide great candidates, but that an increased pool will allow NPS to hire effective educators who contribute to their school communities inside and outside of the classroom, as exemplified in this video.

“Both the City and the District are in an exciting time, and this recruitment effort allows us to show off the story of Newark to potential candidates,” added Larisa Shambaugh, Chief Talent Officer at NPS. “Every year, we hire about 250 educators to join our staff of nearly 2700 teachers. This campaign is going to help us find those educators earlier and to make sure that our students have the best and brightest committed to working with them over the long haul to find success in life.”

With the launch of this campaign, the application to apply to teach in Newark Public Schools for the 2018-19 school year is open – you can apply online at www.TeachNewark.com.

“You can’t go into the profession of teaching and not realize that you have a bigger impact than what takes place inside of your classroom.” shared Bina Ramesh, a teacher at Elliott St. Elementary School. “I think that you should always go somewhere where you are valued and really needed. When I think about ‘Why Newark?’ it is because it is where I can grow as both an educator and as a person.”

To learn more about Newark Public Schools, visit us on line at newark.apppresser.com.

Newark Board of Education Honors First Rhodes Scholar

Jordan Thomas is University H.S. Alumni and 2018 Princeton Graduate

 

Newark, NJ – December 21, 2017 – Members of the Newark Board of Education this week honored Jordan Thomas, a 2014 graduate of Newark’s University High School, who has been selected to receive a Rhodes Scholarship. Thomas will continue his studies at the University of Oxford in England.

“Today, we recognize a young man who has made history not only for Newark Public Schools, but also for the city of Newark – Jordan Thomas has been named our first Rhodes Scholar – we congratulate him, he represents our city and our students well,” said Marquis Aquil Lewis, Board Chairman. Members of the Board, led by Chair of the Community Engagement Committee, Dashay Carter, presented a proclamation to Jordan and his family at the December board meeting.

Jordan served in many roles in NPS, particularly serving as the Student Representative on the Newark Public Schools Advisory Board during the 2013-2014 school year. After graduating from University High School, Jordan matriculated at Princeton University, where he will earn a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs in 2018.

“I am truly honored and humbled to stand before you this evening to accept this proclamation from a school district and city I love,” said Thomas. “It is such a huge honor. I have a mission and goal in my life and that is to have an impact on others. I truly believe in my heart this (being a Rhodes Scholar) will help me to come back and serve my city. The people I have met along my journey have been special and it’s amazing to see the impact I can have on others. I will be coming back to Newark – I’m not finished yet.”

As a Rhodes Scholar, Thomas is among one of 32 American recipients of this prestigious fellowship, which funds two to three year of graduate study at the University of Oxford. Thomas plans to pursue further studies in Evidence Based Social Intervention and Policy Evaluation. Thomas, who is on winter break from Princeton, has already met with students at American History High School, where his father teaches. He plans to host a discussion with students and conduct research at his alma mater, University High School, on January 4.

Superintendent of Schools Christopher D. Cerf said, “Jordan represents the best of Newark Public Schools students and their passion to learn, explore and impact the world. We are proud of Jordan’s accomplishments and look forward to an extraordinary future for him.”

31 Newark Public Schools Get the Gift of Reading with Thousands of Donated Books from United Way and Scholastic

United Way’s “My Very Own Library” Reading Program Kicks Off in NPS

 

NEWARK, NJ – December 20, 2017- Earlier this week, Newark Public School students received the first installment of a total of 200,000 free books at the kickoff of United Way of Essex and West Hudson’s My Very Own Library program, in partnership with the Roberto Clemente Elementary School. In all, 31 schools are receiving book through the month of June.

The students, teachers and administrators at Roberto Clemente Elementary, where the program was officially launched, were joined by Senator Teresa Ruiz at a special assembly with local dignitaries and five children’s authors who came along to celebrate the kickoff of the program.

“The partnership with United Way and Scholastic is an important one in that it brings the excitement of reading to our students and to their families, not with just one book but many books throughout the school year,” said Christopher D. Cerf, Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. “Programs, such as MVOL are essential to creating a love of reading, which we all know is the foundation of learning.”

Students at Chancellor Avenue School ride the Polar Express and later get treated to books and a reading by the author.

“My Very Own Library gives students the opportunity to explore books by selecting those they are interested in reading,” said Catherine Wilson, President & CEO, UWEWH. “Self-choice and voice is critical to students’ learning and MVOL provides students the ability to build their own home libraries. There is no better way to foster a love of reading than to allow students to choose the books they want to read during their free time.” 

Throughout the school year, MVOL partner schools will host Scholastic Book Fairs, where students select books to take home to build their own home libraries. For the 2017-2018 school year, the program will support 20,000 students from 31 public schools in Newark to take home 200,000 children’s books. 

According to Roger León, Assistant Superintendent of NPS said the kickoff this week is the beginning of six months of reading that will also include 93 book fairs, 93 family literacy events and much more. He said, “Every year, our students and families, look forward to this important partnership.”

Other NPS schools who hosted kickoff programs for students included Chancellor Avenue School, Mt. Vernon School and Speedway Academies.

According to the Scholastic Kids & Family Reading Report™: 6th Edition, 86% of children ages 6–17 agreed that it is “very important for my future to be a good reader,” however, kids from lower-income families have access to about half the number of books in their homes as their higher-income peers. 

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About United Way of Essex and West Hudson

Founded in 1923, United Way of Essex and West Hudson’s (UWEWH) mission is “to serve as an effective, results-oriented community builder by investing time and resources on initiatives that create strong communities and ensure their donor’s trust.”

About My Very Own Library

My Very Own Library was founded in 2011 by the late Ms. Anne Feeley (1954-2012). MVOL encourages and supports students’ love of reading by providing them the opportunity to choose brand new, free books to build their own home libraries. To date, MVOL has provided more than 1.8 million books to students in Newark, NJ; Richmond, CA; Chicago, IL; Wilmington, DE; Milwaukee, WI; and the Dominican Republic.

31 Schools (list below)

  • All 31 schools will also host 3 MVOL Book Fairs this school year (93 FREE Scholastic Book Fairs)
  • All 31 schools will also host 3 Family Literacy events this school year during their MVOL Book Fair week (3 x 31 = 93 Family Literacy Events)
  • All 31 schools will also host an author visit. 31 Author Visits this school year.
  • 20,000 Newark Public School Students will each select 3 books on Dec 12th (20,000 x 3 = 60,000 Free Books in DECEMBER
  • 20,000 Newark Public School Students will each select 3 books on Feb 21st (20,000 x 3 = 60,000 Free Books in FEBRUARY
  • 20,000 Newark Public School Students will each select 3 books  (+ 1 Summer book) on June 7th (20,000 x 4 = 80,000 Free Books in JUNE
  • TOTALS: 20,000 Newark Public School students will receive a total of 10 books this school year  = 200,0000 Books
Abington Avenue School George W. Carver School Quitman Street School
Belmont Runyon School Harriet Tubman School Rafael Hernandez School
Benjamin Franklin School Hawkins Street School Ridge Street School
Brick Avon Academy Hawthorne Avenue School Roberto Clemente School
Brick Peshine School Ivy Hill School South 17th Street School
Camden Street School Lincoln School South Street School
Chancellor Ave School Spencer Miller Community School Speedway Academies
Cleveland Elementary School Luis Munoz Marin School Sussex Avenue School
Dr. E. Alma Flagg School McKinley School Thirteenth Avenue School
Dr. William H. Horton School Mount Vernon School
Elliott Street School Oliver Street School

Newark Enrolls Announces Enrollment Application Window for 2017-2018 School Year and Newark City-Wide School Fair

Unified enrollment system builds on recent improvements to focus on providing neighborhood preference, keeping siblings together, and improving the overall family experience

[Newark, NJ – December 04, 2017] The Newark Enrolls Application Portal opened today, Monday December 4th, and will remain open for 11 weeks until Friday February 16th. Families can apply to the district or charter schools of their choice before February 16th. Students will be assigned to the highest ranked choice available. A citywide school fair will be held on December 9th at Barringer High School.

This year Newark Enrolls is focused on continuing to improve how the enrollment process works for Newark families. To do this, the district has built on recent improvement to continue to provide neighborhood preference for 100% of district elementary schools, to focus on keeping siblings in the same school, to provide direct online access for parents to make enrollment changes through the Family Enrollment Portal, and to closely review school placements for students who require special services to ensure appropriate services are available. The district also continues to incorporate feedback from parents and community members to make further improvements around how families actually directly interact and learn about the enrollment process, they include:

  • Changes to Improve Family Experience:
    • Enhanced mobile compatibility to increase accessibility of the online application and Family Enrollment Portal.
    • Decreased wait times and better service at the family support center due to an increase in coordinators and increased expertise for those families who need assistance in specialty areas.
    • A streamlined timeline that will allow parents to receive school assignments and waitlist results at the same time. The family enrollment portal will open the following week, minimizing gaps in parents’ ability to make enrollment changes.
  • More and Better Information and Resources:
    • A video produced last spring is available for the entire enrollment process for the first time, allowing families new to the process to learn about how it works in one place.
    • An additional city-wide event for 8th graders to learn about high school options in depth.
    • An improved guidebook and other resources that have more information than ever before.

Students in the last grade in their current school, enrolling in a school for the first time, or who want to enroll in a new school that best fits their needs should apply. As always, students who plan to remain at their current school DO NOT need to apply. More information is available at www.newarkenrolls.org, where a detailed School Guidebook will be available on December 4th.

Families can learn about school options by attending the citywide school fair on Saturday December 9th at Barringer High School where parents can:

  • Explore school options
  • Experience school performances
  • Complete the Newark Enrolls application
  • Come out and join us for a day of family fun, face painting, raffles, pizza and light refreshments!

Newark Public Schools Celebrates Inclusive Schools Week Stand Tall, Sit Up for Inclusion is 2017 Theme

[NEWARK, NJ - December 4, 2017] Newark Public Schools today launched Inclusive Schools Week, highlighting the 2017 theme, “Stand Tall Sit Up for Inclusion.” Inclusive Schools Week, recognized from December 4 – 8, celebrates the progress schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including to students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference and other factors.

“The Office of Special Education (OSE) is continuing to make great strides in expanding the reach, curriculum and programs to ensure we are an inclusive school district,” said Christopher D. Cerf, Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. “The workshops held by OSE provide an opportunity for engagement of the entire district on developing and delivering best practices for our students and families.”

As part of Inclusive Schools Week, the OSE held Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPs), a session on Universal Design for Learning and the Inclusive Practices Implementation Team held sessions to engage schools and teachers in improving educational opportunities for students and families.

The Team-Initiated Problem Solving (TIPs) including staff members from the 12 Inclusion Schools, together learned to identify, address and resolve student’s social and academic behavior challenges. This workshop included support staff, child study team members, principals and vice principals and OSE staff. In addition, a 2-part workshop on Universal Design for Learning was held to deepen teachers’ understanding of inclusive teaching through theoretical principles and practical applications of Universal Design for Learning for increased student access, engagement and participation. The Inclusive Practices Implementation Team, utilized school data to develop an action for improving inclusive practices at schools with a focus on educating students in the least restrictive environment and to ensure academic and social supports are in place and sufficient. Finally, teams will also participate in a workshop on various Models of Co-Teaching.

Carolyn Granato, Assistant Superintendent of Special Education said, “This is a breakthrough year for Special Education in Newark. This year’s Inclusive Schools Week is a preview of new, exciting, dynamic and inclusive programs and curricula that will give our students and families the best Special Education has to offer.”

For more information on the Inclusive Schools Network visit them on line at http://inclusiveschools.org/

Audible to Provide Free Audible Memberships and Fire Tablets to All Newark High School Students and Their Teachers

Effort honors Newark and its students’ transformational impact on Audible, as the company marks the 20th anniversary of its digital service and its 10th anniversary in Newark


NEWARK, NJ [BUSINESS WIRE] Audible Inc., the world’s largest seller and producer of digital spoken-word entertainment, today announced it will give all ~15,000 Newark high school students and teachers a year of Audible membership, including 12 credits to download and own any of the 375,000+ titles in Audible’s unparalleled library of digital audiobooks and other educational programming. To make use of their free Audible memberships, each Newark student and teacher will receive a free Amazon Fire 7-inch 8GB tablet with Alexa and headphones.

Rolling out today with a distribution event at Technology High School in Newark, the Audible “Project Listen Up” initiative will provide all participants with an enhanced Audible membership experience that includes a free bundle of 150+ “recommended reading” titles identified by Newark educators and Audible experts. Students and teachers will keep the content, tablets, and headphones even after their free membership ends.

“Audible is a better company and a better place to work because of our decision to move to Newark ten years ago and include so many Newark high school and college students and Newark-born and educated people as our paid interns and employees,” said Audible founder and CEO Don Katz. “As our interns who get free access to Audible memberships already know, students, parents, and teachers consistently tell us how powerfully listening to Audible has made a difference – whether it engenders a lasting love of stories, builds active vocabulary, helps with academics, or simply allows people to fit more books into their lives.”

“As we mark 20 years since we launched Audible.com and 10 years since we moved to Newark, we want to say thank you to our adopted hometown and its citizens by giving each high school student and teacher in Newark – including both district and charter high schools – access to Audible, including more than 150 free titles selected by Newark educators and Audible editors,” Katz added.

“A critical focus of our teachers is generating excitement about learning, and bringing people into books,” said Christopher D. Cerf, Superintendent of Newark Public Schools. “Audible opens up a world of adventure, a world of excitement, a world of learning. And as an increasing number of students prefer digitally delivered media, access to Audible facilitates a range of learning choices.”

“Audible is mobile for me and increases the flexibility of my time,” said Ama Hagan, a senior at the North Star Academy charter school in Newark. “You can multitask and when you’re listening, you get deeper into the book because you hear the narrator as the different characters. Audible enhances my understanding of literature assignments and I’m able to even get more evidence and write better essays than in previous years.”

“We want our students to get into the habit of reading spontaneously and independently on their own time,” said Michael Mann, Head of School at North Star Academy. “Beyond enriching and reinforcing their learning, we believe Audible can spur an immediate increase in students’ ability to read for pleasure, in more interesting ways and to a greater extent.”

“We would like to thank our publishing partners who helped put together this program for Newark students,” said Katz.

Among the scientifically verified benefits of the power of listening to literature for developing readers are:

  • Audiobooks teach critical listening, increase vocabulary, and build foundational skills for listening, speaking, and writing.
  • Learning to listen at a high level is a predictor of learning to read at a high level.
  • Listening has been shown to improve students’ enjoyment of and interest in literature.
  • Listening significantly helps struggling readers to better understand text, helping them learn more effectively and lifting their reading comprehension.

All other participating students and teachers will receive their Audible annual memberships, access to their free bundle of 150+ “recommended reading” titles, Fire tables, and headphones at a series of distribution events in Newark beginning in January 2018.

Audible experts will be available throughout the distribution process to provide “white glove” support to all students and teachers in activating their memberships and accessing their free content, and to make recommendations.

For more information on Audible’s “Project Listen Up,” please visit www.audible.com/projectlistenup.

About Audible, Inc.

Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio information and entertainment, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible was created to unleash the emotive music in language and the habituating power and utility of verbal expression. Audible content includes more than 375,000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Audible is also the provider of spoken-word audio products for Apple’s iTunes Store.

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