Born and raised in New Jersey, Julianne Bello is a proud graduate of Allegheny College, where she studied psychology, biology, and theater. While conducting post-baccalaureate work in art history at Rutgers, she fell in love with teaching as a substitute with the Newark Public Schools in 2001, and has never looked back. Teaching ELA, social studies, science, and then piloting a humanities curriculum at First Avenue School in the north ward, she was lucky to encounter students who confirmed her passion for teaching and learning, while collaborating with teachers and administrators who pushed her to grow. Her commitment to lifelong learning would lead to involvement in the district’s well-known teacher residency program with Montclair State University (PIE-Q/NMUTR), and provided Julianne with the opportunity to complete her MA in Administration and Supervision at, and eventually teach in,the College of Education.

Following the call to leadership in 2010 took Ms. Bello to other districts, large and small, urban and suburban; and although those experiences have shaped her style and practice, she yearned to return to Newark. Reintroducing herself to the district through her work with the Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship teachers she supported in their high schools, she was excited to return directly to working with students as an NPS vice principal in 2017. She has served as the Overall Elementary Summer School Principal for two years, overseeing ten K-8 sites around the city, and values the interaction with students and teachers from all wards. In her second year at Hawkins Street School, she continues to focus her energies on improving attendance and fostering achievement for students in grades K-4, and enjoys using technology for efficient and effective workflow. She is an avid reader and traveler, and hopes to become a museum docent when she retires. In the meantime, she is slowly learning Portuguese and completing her doctorate at Rutgers in educational leadership.