Press Releases

Newark Public Schools Receives $7 Million Head Start Grant from US Department of Health and Human Services to Improve Early Childhood Program Quality and Access

Grant Expands Comprehensive Preschool Services to Nearly 2000 More of the City’s Highest-Need Students

September 2, 2014 (Newark, NJ) – Newark Public Schools (NPS) has been awarded a $7 million Head Start grant to expand access to high-quality, comprehensive preschool services in district classrooms for the city’s highest-need children and their families. The new funding will be provided to NPS by the United States Department of Education over a 5-year period.

Quality preschool programs create the foundation for kindergarten success, putting students on the path towards college and career readiness. Head Start’s comprehensive services model, which also includes health, nutrition and family services, will enable NPS to advance its broader public education priorities in service to Newark children and families.

“Newark Public Schools is committed to providing every student, especially those most in need, with a high-quality education and access to developmentally appropriate resources and services,” said Newark Schools Superintendent Cami Anderson. “This Head Start grant will allow NPS to further improve the quality of programs and services offered while also increasing the number of Newark families served.”
The Head Start grant will enable NPS to dramatically improve in-district preschool instruction. As part of this strategy, the district will open two new Early Childhood Centers – at Berliner and Gladys Hillman Jones – as well as open additional classrooms at district schools that currently provide ECE programs.
“As the leader of an organization that has operated and advocated for quality early childhood education programs for many years, we are excited to see the district take this important step toward expanding options for even more deserving Newark children and families,” said John T. Rich, Jr., Director of the Sarah Ward Nurseries.

Kimberly McLain, President and CEO for the Foundation for Newark’s Future (FNF), credited NPS with recognizing the importance of Head Start in giving children a strong foundation on which to achieve academic success. “We know that investing in our children at the earliest ages is essential to helping them reach their full potential.  As a funder of early childhood initiatives in Newark, FNF has championed better access to quality programs for all families – especially those from communities with the greatest need – and we look forward to partnering with NPS on this endeavor.”
Families interested in applying for Head Start services can contact the Newark Public Schools Office of Early Childhood at 973-733-6234 or visit newark.apppresser.com for more information.

Newark Public Schools to Participate in New Federal Program That Will Offer Nearly 10,000 Students Free Breakfast and Lunch

August 27, 2014 – Newark, New Jersey – Newark Public Schools announced today that it will take advantage of a new federal program – the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act – to offer free meals at 19 schools starting next week. The Act’s Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) eliminates the need for parents to complete applications for free and reduced lunch meal applications. All students at participating schools will be served free meals, regardless of their family’s income level.

The program is part of a federal initiative that makes nutritious meals more accessible to students in low-income communities by eliminating the need to fill out paperwork, including sensitive questions about income. The district will pilot the free lunch program this year throughout the city with the intention to expand the program in future years.

Access to free breakfast and lunch has successfully increased the number of students that receive regular nutritious meals and contributed to better student outcomes in states where the program is already underway.

“We care deeply about our students and are focused on supporting their academic and non-academic needs. All kids deserve nutritious meals. Throughout the summer, we worked with community advocates, board members, and partners in government to advance this goal. Today, we are taking a big step forward in making sure that every student is nurtured and ready to learn,” said Superintendent Cami Anderson. “Our participation in this program demonstrates our continued commitment to give all Newark students every advantage possible in reaching their full potential.”

West Side School Principal Larry Ramkissoon added, “Working closely with students and families as an educator, I have seen firsthand the positive impact that healthy meals can have on a child’s ability to focus, learn and retain information. Additionally, this new effort will help to alleviate the stigma associated with students receiving free or reduced meals in school.”

“The community has been very frustrated by the lunch form process – because it means older kids who are not otherwise eligible or who don’t get their forms can’t get free meals and sometimes don’t eat. This has been an issue in Newark for years. We congratulate NPS for working hard to find a solution and for thinking out of the box,” said advocate Denise Crawford.

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The Newark school sites participating in the CEP in the 2014-2015 school year are: Barringer STEAM, Barringer Arts and Humanities, Technology, East Side, University, Arts, NJ Regional Day, JFK, Central, Weequahic, Fast Track Success Academy, West Side, Shabazz, American History, Bard Early College and Science Park.

Newark Public Schools Celebrates its Most Effective Teachers and Continues Efforts to Strengthen Workforce

Teachers Across the District Rewarded for Outstanding Performance

August 19, 2014 – Newark, New Jersey – Upholding its pledge to provide Newark students with an effective teacher in every classroom, Newark Public Schools (NPS) announced today that for the second consecutive year, it is issuing over $1.3 million in stipends to the district’s most effective teachers. In total, 202 teachers will receive one of four types of stipends, ranging from $5,000 to $12,500. Letters from Newark Public Schools, along with the checks, were issued on Friday, August 15th.

“I am delighted to again celebrate the success of our most effective educators – those who are highly effective, those who have improved, and those who demonstrate excellence in serving students in greatest need of support,” stated Superintendent Cami Anderson.  “As one community, we join together in saluting teachers who provide inspiration and guidance to tomorrow’s leaders. We remain committed to rewarding the hardest-working teachers across the district.”

Additionally, for the first time this year, 157 teachers will receive performance improvement stipends as recognition for progressing from a Partially Effective rating in the 2012-2013 school year to an Effective or Highly Effective rating in 2013-2014.

Having identified teacher retention and development a priority, NPS has retained a vast majority of its highest performers. 94% of the Highly Effective and Effective teachers stayed with the district from school year 2012-2013 to 2013-14, while 37% of the Ineffective teachers exited the district.

Althea McCloud, a special education teacher at Chancellor Avenue Elementary School, commented, “Recognition is the added bonus when you work passionately with your team all year to help students and teachers exceed their goals.”

Today’s announcement finalizes the implementation of teacher evaluations in NPS for the 2013-2014 school year. Following the November 2012 ratification of a landmark three-year teacher’s contract, NPS became New Jersey’s first school district to provide financial incentives based on classroom performance. Payments for highly effective teacher stipends were fully funded by the Foundation for Newark’s Future; this year’s contribution represents the second in a three-year commitment by the foundation to help reward and retain the district’s best educators.

“Great teachers change lives,” said Kimberly McLain, President and CEO at Foundation for Newark’s Future. “We are thrilled to play a role in rewarding Newark’s teachers for the life-changing work they do every day on behalf of Newark’s children.”

Teachers who are paid on the Universal Salary Scale and receive a Highly Effective rating on the Annual Summative Evaluation will earn a step on the salary scale for the following year and are eligible to receive bonuses of up to $12,500.

Specifically, the rewards will be distributed as follows:

  • Teachers rated Highly Effective will receive $5,000
  • Teachers rated Highly Effective and employed in a hard-to-staff subject will receive an additional $2,500, for a total bonus of $7,500
  • Teachers rated Highly Effective and employed in one of the lowest quarter (bottom 25%) performing schools will receive an additional $5,000, for a total bonus of $10,000
  • Teachers rated Highly Effective and employed in both a hard-to-staff subject and one of the lowest quarter (bottom 25%) of performing schools will receive all three bonus categories for a total of $12,500
The following is a breakdown of bonus payments for the 2013-2014 academic year.

Bonus Type

Bonus Amount

# of Teachers

Total Amount
Highly Effective

$5,000

119

$595,000
Highly Effective in Hard-to-Staff Subjects

$7,500

41

$307,500
Highly Effective in Lowest-Performing Schools

$10,000

33

$330,000
Highly Effective, in Lowest-Performing Schools, and in Hard-to-Staff Subjects

$12,500

9

$112,500
Total

202

$1,345,000

 

Newark Public Schools and United Way Team Up for City Wide Literacy Engagement Program

Program Launches Little Free Libraries with Books and Ribbon Cutting at Newark’s Jesse Allen Park

June 23,2014 (Newark, NJ) – An ambitious initiative to encourage literacy and build community came to fruition last Friday, June20, with the launch of Little Free Libraries, a free book exchange program taking place in locations across the city. A collaboration between the Newark Public Schools (NPS), The United Way of Essex and Hudson, the City of Newark,The Trust for Public Land and other community groups, the five new wooden mini-library structures were built, painted and installed by NPS construction and art students who attend Newark Leadership Academy. Taking place on National Summer Learning Day in Newark’s Jesse Allen Park, the launch was timed as a reminder of summer learning loss prevention.

“Literacy is critical to academic and life success. It is a fact that one in six children who are not reading proficiently by third grade will not graduate from high school on time – a rate four times higher than that of proficient reader,” said Newark Public Schools Superintendent Cami Anderson. “The Little Free Libraries are a powerful grassroots way to encourage all members of the community to read, and we’re proud to have been a part of making it happen.”

During Friday’s launch ceremony, United Way of Essex and Hudson CEO Keith Green was joined by Newark Leadership Academy and Louise A. Spencer Elementary School students, as well as Superintendent Anderson and other representatives from Newark Public Schools, City of Newark,United Way, The Trust for Public Land, and Friends of Jesse Allen Park as he presented books to all library recipients for the five sites. Newark Public Schools’ Office of Early Childhood, Jumpstart, United Way of Essex and Hudson,NJEA Families and Schools Together, and the Foundation for Newark’s Future provided the initial inventory for the libraries. The books will offer Newark residents reading materials that can be accessed any time of day or night, year round and there are plans for community and schoolbook drives to keep the libraries continually stocked.

Little Free Libraries have been built in countries throughout the world as a way to increase literacy and instill a love of reading in children, families, and the surrounding community. Newark’s Little Free Libraries are located in parks and at early childhood centers throughout the city:

  • Jesse Allen Park-41 Avon Avenue
  • Early Childhood School West-26 Speedway Avenue
  • Hope Garden-260 Bergen Street
  • River Front Park-Raymond Boulevard/Somme Street
  • Sarah Ward Nursery-27 Jay Street

For more information on Little Free Libraries, visit www.littlefreelibrary.org,or watch this video (with broadcast-quality B-roll) produced by Newark Public Schools: http://vimeo.com/98448258

NPS Continues Focus on Talent, Quality, and Rewarding Performance by Negotiating Another Ground-Breaking Contract

June 20, 2014 (Newark) – Newark Public Schools (NPS) and the Newark Public School Nurses, represented by the NTA, a local affiliate of the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA) announced today that they have signed a new contract for school nurses. School Nurses ratified the contract making this the second contract that NPS has negotiated that ties salary increases to annual performance ratings.

Under the new contract school nurses, like teachers, will be rated along a four-point scale – highly-effective, effective, partially-effective, and ineffective; only nurses rated highly-effective or effective will earn a salary increase.  Nurses rated ineffective are not eligible to receive an increase and their current salary level will remain frozen until a higher rating is achieved.

This contract honors and rewards the tremendous work of high-performing nurses and reflects the district’s commitment to the health and safety of its students and school communities.  A forthcoming framework for effective school nurses will set the standards and also serve as a roadmap for those who need to improve. Professional development opportunities and other supports will be aligned to the framework.

“We must focus on the social, emotional, and physical health of our students in order for them to excel academically.  Our school nurses are essential partners in creating healthy and safe school environments so our children can learn,” Newark Schools Superintendent Cami Anderson said. “We believe this contract values the hard work they do each day, while also providing them with the clear, consistent and professional standards they need to be their best.”

For their invaluable work over the last few years when they served without a contract, school nurses will be compensated with a one-time non-pensionable special payment of $3,500 to $12,000, based on their current salary scale and step. They will also receive retroactive pay reflecting their salary increases for school years 2012-13 and 2013-14.

NTA president, Joyce McCree, added, “We feel that this agreement puts our nurses on a level field with the teachers they work alongside to provide our students the care and opportunities they deserve.”

The 120 school nurses who work throughout the district are responsible for student and family health counseling, providing medical referrals, participating in child study teams, and providing on-site health services such as administering medication and emergency care to students. All NPS school nurses have a minimum bachelor’s degree, are registered nurses, and have NJDOE School Nurse certifications. Every school building has at least one full-time school nurse that is supported by certified nurse’s aides (CNA) and licensed practical nurses (LPN).

“I am pleased that we will receive the retroactive payments during the summer months,” said Mercedes Chimento, an NPS school nurse.  “Our contract is comparable to the teacher’s contract.  This will support our working relationship with the district.”

In Pursuit of 100 Excellent Schools, NPS Appoints Eight New Renew School Principals

June 19, 2014 (Newark, NJ) – Reaffirming its commitment towards realizing 100 excellent schools across the district, Newark Public Schools (NPS) today announced the appointment of eight principals to lead the 2014-2015 Renew Schools cohort. Renew Schools – created in line with extensive research identifying the common characteristics of successful schools – provide a wide-range of additional academic and social-emotional supports in order to ensure the needs of each individual child are met. This cohort of seasoned school leaders, with over seventy years of combined experience as educators and demonstrable capacity to improve school outcomes, is uniquely prepared to move these eight schools in a bold new direction in order to achieve academic success for all of their students. This cohort joins ten other Renew Schools for a total of eighteen Renew Schools across the district.
The five qualities successful schools with high levels of student achievement share are great school leaders; excellent teachers; a clear vision and mission; a safe building with flexible resources; and engagement with students and families. With a great principal at the helm of these new Renew Schools, the other four characteristics can come into place.
“The most critical goal of the Renew Schools strategy is to create the conditions necessary for success,” said Superintendent Cami Anderson. “With strong leaders at the helms of these schools, tightened accountability measures, and the ability to recruit, train, and retain the best talent, we can chart a course for enhanced learning environments and thus outcomes for our students.”
In Newark’s Renew Schools, principals will select their staffs through a city-wide hiring process that will ensure the right teachers are in the schools that make the most of their specialized skills. These schools will offer social and emotional supports that ensure students are ready and able to learn, including serving three healthy, organic meals daily, launching a school-wide mentoring program, offering families Adult Education classes in the evenings and on weekends, in literacy, math, and English. Renew Schools also make significant investments to create 21st century learning environments including updating their building’s wiring and internet access capabilities, and upgrading their computer labs with software aimed at reading and math acceleration and individualized learning.

The 2014-2015 Renew Schools Cohort is as follows:

Belmont Runyon Elementary School – Shawn Oxedine-Walter

An educator in the district since 1999, Shawn has worked as a bilingual Math teacher, Math Coach, and is now the Vice Principal of Miller Street. Under her leadership, Miller Street achieved gains in math on the NJASK. Shawn is committed to creating a collegial working environment where staff, families, and students can thrive.

Dr. E. Alma Flagg Elementary School – Ganiat Rufai

Ganiat Rufai is an instructional leader with an extensive background in special education. She has teaching experience in Washington D.C. and Brooklyn, NY, and has served as a Vice Principal in Washington, D.C. for the past four years. Ganiat is a results-driven leader who sets high expectations and has a record of building strong relationships with students, staff, and community members.

Hawkins Street Elementary School – Sandra Marques, Returning

Sandra began her fifteen-year career in the district as a teacher at Hawkins Street where she became Principal in 2012. She also served as Vice Principal at Wilson Street for eight years. Sandra emphasizes a culture of collaboration and collective responsibility amongst her staff and has expertise in aligning school operations with its values.

Rafael Hernandez Elementary School – Patricia Gois
A Wilson Avenue School alumna and an NPS educator since 2002, Patricia Gois has long been dedicated to serving the Newark community. She began her career as a teacher at Ann Street School, and has been Vice Principal there since 2010. Patricia is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and is relentless in her pursuit of excellence.
Dr. William H. Horton Elementary School – Ginamarie Mignone, Returning
A career educator in Newark Public Schools, Ginamarie began her district career in 1998 as a teacher and Literacy Coach at Burnet Street School, to where she returned as Vice Principal in 2007. She served as Vice Principal of Quitman Street Community School for one year before heading back to Burnet Street. In August 2013, Ginamarie became Principal of Dr. William Horton Elementary School. Her leadership skills and focus on family engagement fosters a high quality educational environment focused on student achievement.
Louise A. Spencer Elementary School – Jenn Pellegrine, Returning
Jenn Pellegrine will continue as the Principal of Louise A. Spencer for a third year. Prior to joining the Newark Public Schools, Jenn was a New Leaders Aspiring Principal, taught in public and charter schools in New York City, and served as Director of Data and Assessment at Newark’s Our Lady Liberty Charter School. Striving to continually develop her own leadership skills, Jenn actively seeks out opportunities for professional training in programs such as Research for Better Teaching and Relay Leadership. Leading by example, she encourages her staff to grow professionally as well.
Luis Munoz-Marin – Maria Ortiz
Building on her successful career with the Newark Public Schools, Maria will take the helm at Luis Munoz-Marin – where she started her district career as a Language Arts teacher – after serving as Principal at Alexander Street School. She has also been Vice Principal at Rafael Hernandez School and a Literary Coach Coordinator at both Miller Street Elementary School and Barringer High School. Maria’s spirit of grit and high standards helps establishing a goal-oriented and results-driven culture for staff, families, and students.
Speedway Elementary School – Atiba Buckman, Returning
Returning for a third year, Atiba Buckman will continue as Principal of Speedway Renew. Atiba studied reading at Columbia University’s Teacher’s College and brings expertise in literacy. Prior to joining Newark Public Schools, Atiba was a Vice Principal in New York City. Her commitment is to create a supportive school environment that prepares students for success in high school and beyond.