Newark School Rethinks How It Hires Teachers Of Color – Wins Award

NEWARK, NJ — A charter school in Newark recently earned a 2023 Lighthouse Award from the New Jersey Department of Education for “illuminating the path toward educational improvement and equitable outcomes.”

The key to victory? The school’s unique approach to hiring and retaining teachers of color.

Philip's Academy Charter School of Newark (PACS) was one of five schools/districts in New Jersey to earn a Lighthouse Award this year, capturing a nod in the “diversifying the teacher workforce” category.

According to a presentation from the New Jersey Department of Education, here’s why PACS earned an award:

• “After working with a third-party consultant to complete a needs assessment, Philip’s Academy began a push to recruit teachers and staff members who were reflective of the student body.”
• “[The school] launched a Recruit and Retain Committee that leveraged teachers to refer diverse candidates to the school. This committee also worked to update interview policies and procedures to facilitate the hiring process.”
• “[The school] continually leverages data to track the demographics of their student population and inform hiring goals.”

Other awardees included the Palmyra Public School District (Burlington County), the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical School District, the Morris County Vocational School District, and the Union County Vocational-Technical School District.

Newark and other New Jersey school districts are in urgent need of more diversity, some experts say. One advocate recently said that New Jersey youth of color make up 56 percent of the student population. But educators of color – including men – make up just 16 percent of the state’s entire teacher workforce.

• See Related: NJ Needs More Teachers Of Color. This Newark Group Wants To Help
• See Related: 'Deconstructing Racism in the Classroom': Op-Ed From A Newark Teacher

According to Philip's Academy, a major part of its success in recruiting and retaining a diverse teaching workforce has been its “retain and recruit” committee. Made up of 15 participants, including 12 teachers, the committee has helped the school to “reimagine its interview process” and place current PACS teachers at the forefront of its recruitment strategy.

This shift has created a unique dynamic where teachers themselves take the lead in attracting top talent to the school, spokespeople say.

The school also hosts a recruitment mixer every March for teachers to bring at least two people to get to know the PACS culture, offering a job candidate referral bonus to current staff as an incentive.

One of the eager educators who worked their way through this pipeline is Ashley Turner-Daniels, a 4th-grade math and science teacher who started as a student aide in 2018-2019. Soon, she became a teacher associate, then transitioned into a full-time teaching position in 2020-2021 while pursuing her master’s degree in education.

“This school's commitment to nurturing talent and promoting diversity is truly remarkable and it’s been an incredible experience to grow alongside our exceptional students,” Turner-Daniels said.

The school also set annual hiring goals based on data analysis that identified a need for more male staff, particularly males of color. In 2022-2023, they hired seven men of color and also hired bilingual Latino staff to align with their community's demographics, spokespeople said.

Need more proof of the power of a diverse teaching force? Look to Samuel Coleman, a 5th-grade student at PACS.

“Having teachers who look like me at Philip's Academy Charter School has made a huge difference in my school experience,” the junior Coleman said. “They've shown me that I can achieve anything, and that means the world to me.”

The recent Lighthouse Award from the state has left the school community with a smile on their faces, principal Yasmeen Sampson said.

“This recognition reaffirms our steadfast commitment to providing the best educational experience for our students,” Sampson said. “At PACS, we firmly believe that our diverse faculty enriches our students' lives, fostering understanding, empathy and stronger connections within our community.”

Send local news tips and correction requests to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Learn more about advertising on Patch here. Find out how to post announcements or events to your local Patch site. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Newark Facebook page.