Newark Public Schools

Newark Public Schools is appointing nine new principals, five new directors, and five new assistant superintendents for the upcoming school year, with a focus on promoting internal candidates and diversifying leadership. The changes follow retirements and include roles at elementary and high schools, alongside challenges such as improving student performance and integrating AI into classrooms.

Newark’s Hopeworks program trains young adults in AI, coding, and web development to prepare them for high-demand tech jobs. Participants like Monajah Williams gain skills through hands-on training and paid internships, with the program emphasizing adaptability and human skills in an AI-driven job market.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, expressed concerns about AI in classrooms after visiting Park Elementary School in Newark, leading her to advocate for a ban on student-facing AI in elementary schools. Her visit highlighted quiet, screen-based learning with Khanmigo, an AI tool, while students showed more engagement during teacher-led activities. The district reported improved math scores with Khanmigo, but data remains unpublicized.

New Jersey has invested a record $1.4 billion in preschool education, but challenges remain in providing consistent language support for multilingual learners. While state laws mandate language services, implementation varies across districts, and preschoolers were only recently included in multilingual learner policies. Over 47% of children ages 0–5 in the state are multilingual learners, yet infrastructure and targeted approaches are still lacking.

Newark Public Schools schedules multiple graduation ceremonies simultaneously, forcing parents to choose between events. Superintendent Roger León cited venue shortages and union contract constraints as challenges. Parents like Danielle Rose and Yvonne Davis have faced impossible decisions in recent years due to overlapping events.

New Jersey awarded Newark Public Schools $400,000 to expand high-impact tutoring programs using AI and small group sessions in the 2026-27 school year. The funding is part of a $7.5 million state grant targeting districts with low math and reading proficiency, with Newark also implementing Khanmigo, an AI tutoring tool supported by the Bill Gates Foundation.

Newark’s charter school enrollment grew by less than 1% this school year, the slowest rate since 2019, while traditional public schools lost over 700 students, particularly multilingual learners. Immigration enforcement concerns and shifting family choices may explain the enrollment shifts, with charter schools enrolling fewer than 10% of the city’s multilingual learners.

Randi Weingarten, President of the American Federation of Teachers, advocates for limiting classroom screen time, banning student-facing AI in elementary schools, and imposing a tax on major technology companies. She emphasizes the need for a balanced approach to AI in education, citing research on its potential harms while acknowledging its benefits when properly regulated.

Newark Public Schools students are improving faster than most U.S. districts, gaining 1.23 grade levels annually in reading and math post-pandemic, but remain 2.36 grade levels below the 2019 national average. The district ranks in the 93rd percentile nationally, outpacing similar districts, though performance lags with 34% of students passing English Language Arts and 21.1% passing math tests in 2024.

Newark Public Schools' enrollment decreased by 764 students in the 2025-26 school year, the first decline since 2019, driven by drops in multilingual learners, white, and Black student populations. The district's Hispanic student enrollment grew slightly, while early and transition grade levels saw the sharpest declines.