New Vice Principal Welcomed To Roosevelt Middle School In West Orange

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Roosevelt Middle School in West Orange has a new vice principal: Olivia Betances.

Betances, a social studies teacher at Roosevelt Middle School, was officially appointed as the school’s new assistant principal on Monday. She takes over for Marc Lawrence, who was appointed as principal at Mt. Pleasant School in August.

The West Orange Public School District shared some background information about Betances and her qualifications:

“Born and raised in Queens, New York, Betances attended Stony Brook University for undergraduate studies with an interdisciplinary BA in Social Sciences and a concentration in Secondary Education in 2001. She received her MA in Educational Leadership at Montclair State University in 2010.”

Now in her 22nd year in education, Betances described her work experience as follows:

“Prior to Roosevelt, I was an active educational leader in Teaneck, New Jersey. For my initial nine years, I was a social studies teacher at Teaneck High School, actively engaging with both students and families. Notably, during my tenure as a teacher, I had the privilege of spearheading the development and implementation of the first full-year high school course on Latin American history in the state of New Jersey. Subsequently, I was promoted to the position of Dean of Students at Teaneck High School, where I served for over a decade. In this position, I played a pivotal role in establishing a professional learning community among our staff. It was my mission to identify and address obstacles in the curriculum, school culture, and overall climate, thus reducing the achievement gap experienced by students transitioning to high school.”

“Given the time and effort I dedicated to Teaneck Public Schools, stepping away from my role as dean of students was a difficult decision,” Betances said. “However, my strong desire to serve the community where my family resides, coupled with the stellar reputation of Roosevelt Middle School, compelled me to take this new step.”

According to district administrators, Betances and her husband, Damien, a public school counselor and West Orange High School assistant track coach, have lived in West Orange for the past 11 years. They have two West Orange Public School students (ages 3 and 10).

Betances also serves on the Hazel PTA Board as membership chair.

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