Superintendent León Addresses Hundreds Of Newly-Recruited Teachers

NEWARK, N.J. – Superintendent Roger León inspired hundreds of teachers, newly recruited to New Jersey’s largest school district, with a passionate address as part of their orientation at Science Park High School yesterday.

“This is a movement that you have now become a part of,” said León. “And I, as Superintendent of Schools, have nothing but the greatest honor and pleasure of welcoming you to the Newark Public Schools.”

“I want to welcome every one of our new teachers who have answered our call for energetic, innovative educators,” said Board of Education President Hasani K. Council. “We look forward to their efforts in leading our students to academic excellence and developing all their talents and abilities.”

During his remarks, the Superintendent noted Newark Public Schools is in a time of growth and expansion despite a national teaching shortage and declining student enrollments that have forced schools to close in districts throughout the country. Newark Public Schools has opened nine schools, with a tenth scheduled to open this fall, in response to increasing student enrollment and in accordance with the district’s 10-year strategic plan.

However, León spent most of his time with the new teachers imparting his advice, and he made it clear what every new teacher’s priority should be in the year ahead.

“I want you, in year one, to perfect the art of teaching and learning,” he said. “I want nothing to be more important.”

He added what he would direct the new teachers to do, if he were their principal.

“I need you to visit some of the best teachers in the school. I need you to get into their classrooms, as soon as early September,” he said.

Newark Public Schools is a district where many graduates have gone on to achieve greatness, he said, mentioning alumni such as U.S. Supreme Court Justice William Brennan, former mayors Sharpe James and Edward Koch, and Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, a former Central High School principal.

But León added that greatness should not be considered a rarity among the students who will be in the classrooms this year.

And the Superintendent shared what the incoming educators would experience in working with the children and adolescents of Newark’s largest city.

“Our students in Newark will not see anything of what you look like,” he said. “When you walk into your classroom and the students arrive, they’re not going to notice anything about you – that you’re tall, short, black, or white. They’re going to notice your heart first.”

The audience of about 500 teachers at today’s event was about the same size at last year’s new teacher orientation. The context this year, however, is different.

As part of the June agreement with the Newark Teachers Union, the District began offering starting salaries of $65,000 to certified teachers with bachelor’s degrees in their first year. Also, the District created 338 new positions for 2024-2025, 181 of which are classroom positions. To date, 122 of the 181 classroom positions are filled.

Teacher resignations dropped by nearly 100 from last year, an encouraging indicator that the District is retaining the teachers who are recruited.

“People are acknowledging the fact that we are a district that knows the value of a teacher, and we pay them accordingly,” said Dr. Yolanda Mendez, Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources.

But teachers aren’t only coming to (and staying in) Newark Public Schools for the competitive salaries, Mendez said.

The District has teaching opportunities that cannot be found anywhere else, she added. A certified science teacher who is a weekend musician may find their dream job at Arts High School, or a fashionista world languages teacher can be a perfect fit for the Newark School of Fashion and Design. All the while, every District school has New Jersey’s largest city and all it has to offer as its backdrop.

“Newark Public Schools is an attractive, exciting place to work – and Newark is an exciting place to be,” she said.

The Superintendent’s talk ended with a screening of the district’s recruiting video, “Let’s Go To Work.” The video is a rallying cry to all educators to come to Newark Public Schools and do whatever it takes to lead students to success and achievement.

“I want you to understand fully what you have signed up for. That is the movement,” said León, after the video. “And this is the moment.”