Newark Public Schools Celebrates 26th Annual Senior Day with Unprecedented Achievement and National Recognition

NEWARK, N.J. – Superintendent León delivered remarks on the district’s transformation since the return to local control and highlighted the progress Newark Public Schools has made through its historic 10-year strategic plan, now entering Year 7.

“As a proud product of the Newark Public Schools, and a proud citizen of our city, the work we are doing is incredible,” said Superintendent León.

In what could be described as a Newark Public Schools history lesson, the Superintendent, whose appointment began in July 2018, spoke of the district’s emergence from 25 years of state control through the state’s two-year transition plan to an equally unprecedented one-year plan, NPS Clarity 2020. 

“The one-year plan was a healing document,” he said. “We said to everyone, this is what we think happened before and during state operation, what we liked and what we didn't like. What we want to continue and what should have never started.”

He described the thinking behind the formulation of The Next Decade: 2020-30, the district’s historic 10-year strategic plan. 

“We went from one year to 10 because we were forward-thinking, to be understanding, to become a self-sustaining organization, to be systems thinkers,” he said. “That we have the audacity to believe that we can actually help our school district, not only the students in Newark, but the students in every municipality in this great state and country.” 

The Next Decade: 2020-30 is the district’s historic ten-year strategic plan to do just that and serves as a model worthy of being studied and replicated. He noted that the district’s work has been guided by nationally recognized educational research, including the Accelerated Schools Project and the Chicago Consortium of School Research.

“The Accelerated Schools Project says accelerate the learning of children who you think are behind so that they can actually move ahead,” Superintendent León said. 

The Superintendent highlighted numerous indicators of progress across the district, including:

• Graduation Rate
• Chronic Absenteeism 
• Improvements in English language arts and mathematics 
• Eight National Blue Ribbon Schools
• Middle States accreditation for all six comprehensive high schools
• Hundreds of millions in college scholarships earned by students
• Over one thousand students earned associate degrees while still in high school
• Over one thousand students earned the New Jersey State Seal of Biliteracy
• Student enrollment growth 
• The opening of 12 new schools and hundreds of additional classroom seats

Superintendent León also highlighted the district’s expansion of programs for students with exceptionalities and bilingual students, including specialized services now attracting attention from educators nationwide.

“States from across this country are coming to Newark to see the incredible work that we’re doing in our special education programs and at each of our five specialized schools.One of the new 12 schools, Branch Brook School, the district’s first school for children with autism, has served as a hallmark of the district’s progress and innovation,” Superintendent León said.

Recent visitors of the district include:

• The Urban Collaborative brought education leaders from 17 states and 33 districts to see Newark Public Schools’ innovative school programs at their annual conference. 
• Birmingham City Schools visited the district’s robust speech and debate programs
• Assistant Superintendent Jennifer Trejo of the Socorro Independent School District in Texas – shadowed Superintendent León as part of her studies as an aspiring schools superintendent with the Michael Casserly Urban Executive Leadership Institute. 

Superintendent León praised the Newark Board of Education for policies and initiatives that have expanded opportunities for students, including the district’s FAFSA graduation requirement, which was later adopted statewide requiring all high school students in New Jersey to do the same.

“The board unanimously voted to approve the additional graduation requirement before it became law in New Jersey,” Superintendent León said. “For a student to graduate from any high school in New Jersey today, they have to complete the financial application.”

This new requirement, this single act, has opened more access to college in Newark and throughout New Jersey. In Newark, we made that happen for New Jersey. 

Superintendent León also emphasized the importance of maintaining momentum as the district continues implementing its strategic plan through 2030.

“We are going to keep on moving because we still have a long way to go,” Superintendent León said.

“Superintendent León’s remarks during our August retreat were a powerful reminder of how far Newark Public Schools has come since the return to local control and how much promise lies ahead for our students,” said Hasani K. Council, President of the Newark Board of Education. “The progress our district has achieved is the direct result of a strategic plan and a leader’s vision that puts children first. As Board members, we are proud to support policies and investments that continue transforming Newark Public Schools into one of the nation’s leading urban school districts.”

Senior Day was established in 1999 and has continued for 26 years, a long standing tradition. The Class of 2026 established the highest of standards across multiple indicators of student achievement, outcomes, and progress. This has significantly contributed to unprecedented student achievement and national recognition.