Newark Public Schools Staff Selected for State Advisory Roles

NEWARK, N.J. – District staff have been selected to serve on statewide committees, task forces, working groups, commissions, and coalitions addressing a wide variety of issues facing public education in New Jersey.

This helps shape state policy and practice in areas including academic content, statewide assessments, student literacy, chronic absenteeism, school staffing, bilingual education, healthy school facilities, teacher evaluation, and employee health benefits.

“The selection of so many Newark Public Schools staff demonstrates the depth of knowledge, experience and leadership that exists throughout our district,” Superintendent León said. “These appointments ensure that Newark will have a meaningful voice in decisions that affect students, teachers, schools, and families across New Jersey. I congratulate these exemplary professionals and thank them for representing our district.”

The statewide roles are:

Dr. Lydia Alvarez, Testing Director – District Test Coordinator Committee. The committee reviews testing manuals, forms, presentations and other administrative materials to ensure they are clear, comprehensive and practical for school districts administering statewide assessments; Dr. Alvarez was also accepted to the Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (ALAS)’ Central Office Administrators Academy, a highly selective professional development and growth opportunity to develop leadership skills.

John Cunha, Physical Education Teacher at Ridge Street School – School Employees’ Health Benefits Commission. The commission oversees the School Employees’ Health Benefits Program, which provides health coverage to eligible employees and retirees of participating New Jersey education employers.

Dr. Davine Floy, Science Teacher at the Newark School of Data Science and Information Technology – NJDOE Statewide Assessment Advisory Committee. The committee provides the NJDOE with input from teachers and school and district leaders regarding the design, administration and continued improvement of the state’s assessment system.

Amanda Grossi, Mathematics Director – Mathematics Content Development and Review Committee. The committee reviews mathematics assessment questions for accuracy, grade-level appropriateness, alignment with state standards, reading demands and presentation. Members also review the performance of field-tested questions to help determine whether they should be used, revised or removed.

Michael Iovino, Social Studies Teacher at Technology High School – New Jersey Educator Evaluation Review Task Force. The task force studies New Jersey’s teacher and school-leader evaluation system, gathers and evaluates data, identifies areas for improvement, and recommends potential changes to the laws and regulations governing annual evaluations. 

Rochanda Jackson, Executive Director of the Office of Planning, Evaluation and Testing – Bias and Sensitivity Committee. The committee reviews assessment questions and reading passages to ensure they are fair, culturally appropriate, respectful of students’ diverse backgrounds and experiences, and free from content that could disadvantage or exclude particular groups of students.

Marianne Ramos Kramer, Vice Principal at Avon Avenue Elementary School – NJDOE Statewide Assessment Advisory Committee. The committee provides the NJDOE with input from teachers and school and district leaders regarding the design, administration and continued improvement of the state’s assessment system.

Tatiana Meza, English as a Second Language Teacher at Thirteenth Avenue School –NJDOE Bilingual Advisory Committee. The committee advises the NJDOE on policies, programs and services affecting multilingual learners, including bilingual education and English-language instruction.

Jazleen Othman, English Language Arts Director – English Language Arts Content Development and Review Committee. The committee reviews reading passages and assessment questions to ensure they are appropriate for the intended grade level, aligned with the New Jersey Student Learning Standards, accurate and appropriately challenging.

Silvia Pereira, English Language Teacher Coach at South Street School – Task Force on Public School Staff Shortages in New Jersey. The task force develops recommendations for addressing shortages of teachers and educational support professionals in New Jersey public schools, including strategies involving recruitment, preparation, certification, retention and working conditions; Working Group on Student Literacy. The group advises the NJDOE on evidence-based literacy strategies, reliable universal literacy-screening tools and high-quality instructional materials intended to strengthen literacy instruction; Chronic Absenteeism Task Force. The task force examines the causes and effects of chronic absenteeism and identifies strategies to improve student attendance; Healthy Schools Now. This is a statewide coalition coordinated by the New Jersey Work Environment Council that advocates for safe, healthy, and modern learning environments.

Carynne Conover, Social Studies Director – Advisory Board Member at Kean University’s Center for Africana Studies. The center’s mission is to serve as a leading resource for scholarly research, community engagement, and educational programming that explores, celebrates, and critically engages with the diverse cultures, histories, and experiences of African and African diaspora communities.

Kathleen Tierney, Science Director – Science Content Development and Review Committee. The committee evaluates science assessment questions for content accuracy, grade-level appropriateness and alignment with state standards. Members also help determine whether field-tested questions should become part of future statewide assessments. 

“These appointments are a reflection of the extraordinary talent within Newark Public Schools,” Board of Education President Hasani K. Council said. “Our staff members understand the challenges and opportunities facing public schools because they work directly with students, families and colleagues every day. Their knowledge and experience will make an important contribution to decisions affecting school communities throughout New Jersey.”