Message from the Office of the SuperintendentDear Teachers and Instructional Staff, The school year is off to a remarkable start, and our team has been truly inspired by the exceptional work unfolding throughout District schools. Have a great week of teaching and learning! Superintendent León, Deputy Superintendent Severe, and Assistant Superintendent Esteves |
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Dates to Remember and Testing CalendarPlease see below for two important sets of dates: |
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 Inclement Weather
In the rare chance that a delayed opening or school closing is called, multiple factors needed to be met to make such a determination. Once the call is made, schools and departments are to strictly follow the designated protocols for their locations. The Blackboard announcement goes to parents and staff. As the weather may be more treacherous in some areas than others, everyone should travel with caution. ALL staff are to arrive prior to the indicated time to be able to receive students safely. Work together with your administration and colleagues to make sure you also arrive safely, while students are covered at all times. Essential employees are always to adhere to the times set by their immediate supervisors. |
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I Believe in You GrantTeachers are vital to the success of our students. With the “I Believe in You” grant, teachers will demonstrate how they are helping students learn to think critically and solve problems. Grants in the amount of $1,000 will be issued to every teacher in each school. Grant funds can be used for instructional materials and supplies. See below for further information: |
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I Believe in My PLC GrantThis grant provides teachers, possessing a broad vision of what it means to teach and learn, the resources needed to pursue self-designed professional learning experiences. Teacher teams will work collaboratively to determine how funds will be allocated for the grade level or department. One grant will be allocated per school in the amount of $3,000-$7,000. Grant funds can be used for instructional materials and supplies. See below for further information: |
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Classroom Emergency Procedure Guide (New)Contact: Levi Holmes, Safety & Security
Email: L1Holmes@NPS.K12.NJ.US  The District is dedicated to preparedness and proactive safety measures. For this reason, every classroom has a Classroom Emergency Procedure Guide to equip teachers with essential guidance for handling emergencies efficiently. Teachers are encouraged to review these guides thoroughly upon receipt to familiarize themselves with the procedures to be better prepared in the event of an emergency.
If you have any questions, please contact your Principal so they may connect with the school’s respective Security Supervisor. |
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Avigilon - New AI-Based Surveillance System (New)Contact: Abdullah Ansari, Division of Information Technology
Email: aansari@NPS.K12.NJ.US The District has replaced its legacy surveillance system with a new state of the art Artificial Intelligence (AI) based surveillance system with over 7,500 high resolution cameras that will extend the District’s surveillance coverage by nearly 300%. In addition, the new system’s advanced capabilities will significantly enhance the safety and security of students and staff in all District buildings. It shall be noted that the new system has been installed locally in the District’s data center where cameras record their footage on locally hosted servers and not on the Internet. The District plans to extend the capabilities of the new surveillance system by adding HALO Smart sensors (similar to smoke detectors at home) to detect vaping, smoking, air quality, CO2 level, etc. The devices will be integrated with the new surveillance system and will be configured to alert the security personnel and school administration when vaping is detected. The work will begin in High Schools in the next few months. |
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Student Health Assessments (New)Contact: Dr. Marguerite Leuze, Health Services
Email: MLeuze@NPS.K12.NJ.US N.J.6A:16-2.2 requires that districts provide student health assessments, including height, weight, hearing, vision, blood pressure, entry physical examinations and sports physicals. Students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th Grade are included in this mandate. In addition to the above screening requirements, students in Pre-Kindergarten must have all their screenings completed by late October. Additionally, students ages 10 to 18 will be screened for scoliosis according to the scoliosis guidelines, on a biennial basis. The document below outlines the grade level needs of student assessments: |
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Apply for the Superintendent's Leadership Pipeline (New)Contact: Matthew Brewster, Office of Staff Development
Email: MBrewster@nps.k12.nj.us The Superintendent’s Leadership Pipeline is an initiative designed to develop the next generation of leaders in our District. This program offers two distinct pathways: - Aspiring Leaders, aimed at instructional staff who are encouraged to pursue supervisor or principal certification, and
- Rising Leaders, focused on those who already hold these certifications and seek to refine their leadership skills through targeted professional development.
If you believe you are ready to advance in your educational leadership journey, we encourage you to express interest using the link below: |
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Become a National Board-Certified Teacher (New) Contact: Dr. Nicole Bethea, Office of Staff Development
Email: nbethea@NPS.k12.nj.us
National Board Certification (NBC) is a voluntary, advanced teaching credential that goes beyond state licensure. NBC has national standards for what accomplished teachers should know and be able to do. The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certifies teachers who successfully complete its rigorous certification process. The NBOE attests to the positive effects the NBC process has on their classroom practices and acknowledges the growing body of research that links NBC with improved student achievement. Please complete the interest form below: |
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Homework Hotline (New)Contact: Michael Padilla, Office of Instructional Technology
Email: m4padilla@nps.k12.nj.us  The Homework Hotline is back! Starting September 22nd, students can go to our Homework Hotline (https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/homework-hotline/) and receive expert assistance from certified Newark Public School teachers on any grade level and content area assignments. Share the exciting news with your students so that they can make use of this wonderful resource.
Please contact Mr. Padilla (M4Padilla@nps.k12.nj.us) or Ms. Maffucci (EMaffucci@nps.k12.nj.us) with any questions. |
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Teach Adult Education Classes in the Evening (New) Contact: Andre Hollis, Adult Education
Email: a1hollis@nps.k12.nj.us
The Adult Education department is looking for interested teachers to teach GED, ESL and other evening classes at various locations throughout the City of Newark. Interested teachers should apply here and complete JobID:2138. EveningCoursesFlyer-Fall-2025.jpg |
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SEL/Mental Health Programming and Initiatives (New)Contact: Samantha Parreiral, Office of Student Life
Email: sparreiral@nps.k12.nj.us The attachment below contains Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and Mental Health programming and initiatives offered by the Office of Student Life for the 2025-2026 school year: |
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HIB Workshop Trainings / Artifacts Due Date (New)Contact: Stacy M Pelham-Hale, Office of Student Life
Email: s1hale@nps.k12.nj.us To: All Anti-Bullying Specialists  Kindly adhere to the following deadline for uploading and submitting all required training and program artifacts. Please click the links below to access all HIB PowerPoint Trainings and the HIB Trainings/Artifacts Google Form.
HIB Parent, Student, Staff Trainings:
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Title IX Student and Staff Trainings Due Date (New)Contact: Stacy M Pelham-Hale, Office of Student Life
Email: s1hale@nps.k12.nj.us  To: ALL HIB/Title IX Coordinators
Kindly adhere to the following deadline for uploading and submitting all required Title IX trainings and program artifacts. Please click the links below to access all Title IX Student/Parent Powerpoint Trainings and the Title IX Trainings Artifact Google Form. Title IX Parent and Student Trainings: |
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Rethink Student Self-Check In (New)Contact: Jessica Silva-Olmo, Office of Student Life
Email: jsilva@nps.k12.nj.us All 3rd-12th grade students will take a Fall 2025 SEL Self-Assessment in RethinkEd by October 31, 2025. This standard, District-wide, student self-assessment will provide an opportunity for teachers, administrators, and the Office of Student Life to measure what supports students are currently in need of. Thereafter, schools can utilize the Rethink platform to assign lessons to students in order to best support their SEL needs. Students can access the assessment simply by logging onto RethinkEd through Clever and automatically see the prompt for the assessment. Please ensure that students complete this in order to capture all students' SEL strengths and/or challenges. |
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Newark Accelerated Pathways Program Orientation (New)Contact: Eboni Woolridge, HRS - Office of Staffing & Certification
Email: e2lee@nps.k12.nj.us  The Newark Accelerated Pathways Program Orientation will be held Friday, September 12, 2025 at Newark Vocational High School - Auditorium. Doors open promptly at 3:30PM.
This invite is extended to all current and new Pathways participants in pursuit of their New Jersey teaching license(s) aligned with their current title. These individuals are also required to pass ETS Praxis assessment(s) and/or required to pass the Language Proficiency evaluation(s). Please click the following link to view the flyer: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Rgb2g3kOE5pzZV6IKSKTRuYReFnVvhK/view?usp=sharing |
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Guidance for Emergency Remote Instruction 2025-2026Contact: Marialana Juliano, Office of the Deputy Superintendent
Email: mjuliano@nps.k12.nj.us In accordance with New Jersey State Legislature P.L. 2020, Chapter 27 and State of New Jersey Department of Education guidance, the Newark Board of Education will implement the Guidance for Emergency Remote Instruction during a District closure lasting more than three consecutive days due to a declared state of emergency, declared public health emergency, or a directive by the appropriate health agency or officer to institute a public health-related closure. The Guidance for Emergency Remote Instruction 2025-2026 can be accessed from the District’s website: https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/guidance-for-emergency-remote-instruction/ All Teachers and Instructional Staff should have created virtual Webex classrooms and ensure that the links are shared on the school’s website. Also, please be mindful that all students will need to have their Chromebooks at home if and when the Guidance for Emergency Remote Instruction is implemented. |
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Calling All Superintendent’s Council of LeadersContact: Shamere Williams, Office of the Deputy Superintendent
Email: s21williams@nps.k12.nj.us This entry serves as a reminder that the Superintendent’s Council of Leaders will meet throughout the 2025-26 SY. The Council of Student Leaders is composed of one high school student representative from each grade. The Council of Parent Leaders is comprised of a president of the Parent Organization or a Parent Leader. The Council of Teacher Leaders is made up of one elementary teacher per grade span (PK-2, 3-5, and 6-8), and one high school teacher per grade from each school. The first round of meetings will take place in October per the details in the link below. Please obtain further details from your school Principal. |
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2025-2026 Marking Period CalendarContact: Darren Watsky, Student Information Services
Email: dwatsky@nps.k12.nj.us
Here is the 2025-2026 Marking Period Calendar. The first Progress Report is Wednesday, October 1. Only assignments in the Formative Assessment and Summative Assessment categories will count toward final grades at the end of the cycle. |
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PowerTeacher Pro Gradebook CategoriesContact: Darren Watsky, Student Information Services
Email: dwatsky@nps.k12.nj.us NBOE uses two categories of assignments to determine a student’s grade: Summative Assessments and Formative Assessments. If other categories are used for assignments in PowerTeacher Pro, the assignments will not count for the student’s overall grade. All categories should be made inactive except for the two categories that are district wide categories in all gradebooks. Use the Inactivating Gradebook Categories document to view and edit your gradebook categories as needed. |
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Arts in Action: Reloaded!Contact: Devonne De Nose, Office of Visual and Performing Arts
Email: d1denose@nps.k12.nj.us The Office of Visual and Performing Arts is excited to welcome you to the 2025-2026 school year! This year’s theme is: Arts in Action: Reloaded! and we will work together towards further celebrating the creativity of our students as they develop artistic literacy and grow their craft.
As we launch into this school year, remember that National Arts in Education Week is September 8 - 14, 2025! Please use the flyer to spread awareness. Our office would like to see all of the wonderful celebrations and work throughout the week of September 8th, so please upload your submissions here! |
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Excel Enrichment Expansion - We Need You!Contact: Dr. Julianne Bello, Office Of Extended Learning
Email: jbello@nps.k12.nj.us The Office of Extended Learning will be expanding Excel Enrichment offerings this year! Do you have talent or experience you’d like to share as part of our growing portfolio of student offerings? Please fill out the interest survey here! We are looking for individuals with experience in sewing, crew/rowing, fencing, American Sign Language, Law Day/Mock Trial, and more! |
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Monthly OSE Professional Development UpdatesContact: Candice Wells, Office of Special Education
Email: c1wells@nps.k12.nj.us The Office of Special Education (OSE) is excited to provide monthly supports. Please be sure to check out monthly submissions by our office which highlights professional development opportunities available across the District. New Special Education Teachers are encouraged to sign up for the monthly OSE Special Education Teacher Academy workshops. Veteran special education teachers are welcomed to attend as well. Weekly Office Hours are available regarding EdPlan which is the District's platform for IEPs. PD opportunities and asynchronous resources are available for accessing EdPlan. Please see attached for more OSE PD opportunities and/or office hours for paraprofessionals, Pre-K disabled program teachers, child study team members, substitute teachers, Handle with Care, and more. 8-26-25-Teacher-Talk.pdf Feel free to reach out to our office for questions. |
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Culture & Climate Calendar SY 2025 - 2026Contact: Rania Sawaged, Student Support Services - Office of Student Life
Email: rsawaged@nps.k12.nj.us Please review the Culture & Climate Calendar for the 2025–2026 school year. This calendar is intended to serve as a guide when planning required and suggested activities, service/community projects, and other school events throughout the year.
To support a more streamlined artifact collection process, the principal will designate one staff member each month to be responsible for uploading photos and artifacts to your school's assigned slide. Please refer to the Culture & Climate Mandatory Artifacts for guidance. |
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HIB/Title IX Documentation Forms: 2025-2026 SYContact: Stacy M Pelham-Hale, Student Support Services - Office of Student Life
Email: s1hale@nps.k12.nj.us 
We are pleased to announce the release of updated online fillable forms for Harassment, Intimidation, and Bullying (HIB) and Title IX documentation for the 2025–2026 school year. The comprehensive documentation packet contains all required forms and resources to support HIB and Title IX investigations, including the following: - The Necessary Tools for HIB/Title IX Investigations
- Student Safety Data System (SSDS) forms 2025-2026
- HIB Complaint forms 2025-2026
- Title IX reporting forms
- HIB/Title IX Summary of Support Services Provided
Please be sure to complete the entire investigation packet when submitting forms for all HIB and Title IX matters. These materials are designed to facilitate thorough, consistent, and compliant documentation throughout the investigative process. Click the link below to access the 2025-2026 SY HIB/Title IX Complete Documentation File Packet: |
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Submitting Employee CredentialsContact: Justine Carter, HRS - Office of Staffing
Email: j1carter@nps.k12.nj.us Employees often submit credentials to their Hiring Manager. Please note in order for Human Resource Services to properly document employee files, these credentials should be forwarded to the appropriate Human Resource Representative. Transcripts must be sent directly from the educational institution to your Human Resource Services representative. |
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Staffing Reminders!Contact: Justine Carter, HRS - Office of Staffing
Email: j1carter@nps.k12.nj.us - Ensure candidates apply to the correct vacancy on Frontline.
- Onboarding must be completed before starting with the District.
- Instructional hires must minimally hold a substitute certification, fingerprint approval, and a Physical/TB test before they begin.
- Review Pathways Program Guidelines (subject to change)
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Connecting with HRS through Employee Self Service (ESS) and NBOEHRS.comContact: Marilyn Williams, HRS - Office of Employee Services
Email: mjwilliams@nps.k12.nj.us Employee Services encourages all staff to become familiar with two online tools: - NBOEHRS.com: A 24/7 resource for information on benefits, pensions, payroll, and much more.
- Employee Self Service (ESS): This platform allows you to complete various HR activities, including viewing your paycheck, updating direct deposit or W-4 information, confirming and updating personal information, and submitting retirement or resignation requests.
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NBOE in the NewsStay informed on everything happening within Newark Public Schools and the Newark Board of Education! Read up on all of the many ways the district is garnering media coverage. Press Releases |
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 | Teacher Talk is emailed every other Monday. The submission deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday. |
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Contact Us To support and encourage highly effective instruction, Teacher Talk synthesizes information and resources that will help NPS teachers meet the expectations of the framework for effective teaching. Please open the form with Firefox or Chrome in order to add attachments.
You may submit items for inclusion in the Teacher Talk newsletter via this form:
https://www.nps.k12.nj.us/departments/communications/teacher-talk-form/ The weekly submission deadline is Wednesday by 5:00 p.m. before Monday distribution. |
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NBOE cares about YOU! We believe that optimal health and wellbeing allows you to perform at your best. That’s why we launched NBOE Well. Discover more about our extensive and complimentary wellness programs, available to all participants in a District medical plan.
