Early Childhood

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
Contact Info
Yolonda Severe
Executive Director

Office Location
765 Broad Street
Newark, NJ 07102

Phone: 973-733-6234
Fax: 973-424-4372

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