About Us

Dr. Danielle Mastrogiovanni, Director
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s an educator with over 25 years of experience, I have dedicated my life to urban education and advocating for educational justice. With my roots in Early Childhood Education, I have worked as a classroom teacher in Grades PreK through 8 and have coached teachers in best practices in literacy across all grade levels. I began my administrative career supervisor of curriculum; where I have been recognized for my work in early literacy and presented on this topic both internationally and at the state-level. In addition to my work in literacy with our youngest scholars, I have also created curriculum for public schools and outside institutions, such as NJ PAC, and have provided professional development to support culturally responsive practices in both pedagogy and leadership. Based on my firm belief in that education should be looked at holistically, I am committed to creating an early childhood program that will meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of our students and their families and am excited to be at the helm of our department where I hope to create sustainable systems that both support this work in the immediate future, as well as to maintain it for generations to come.


KéLee Brown, Supervisor

 

As an educator with 21 years of experience, I wanted to ensure I made a positive impact on students, families, staff and the community. Throughout my career I have worked in the capacity of a Kindergarten teacher, Kindergarten Grade Level Leader, Instructional Leader (Prek-2nd), School Leader (Pre-k-4th) and a Supervisor for the Office of Early Childhood. During my journey I have gained a passion for coaching adults effectively to move theory to practice. Alongside having a passion for coaching adults, I noticed my love for Early Childhood Education specifically Preschool. As a School Leader for Pre-k-4th grade I had to become familiar with New Jersey State standards by understanding the progression, review curriculum and lesson plans, and help write unit plans. While being a School Leader, I was able to identify the gaps as to why our preschoolers were not ready for Kindergarten. From that point on, is when I realized I wanted to focus heavily on preschool and work for the Office of Early Childhood to help close the achievement gap. I have gained a wealth of knowledge working as a Supervisor of Early Childhood for four years, with this experience I am committed to continue to develop and share my expertise. My goal is to ensure every preschooler transitioning to kindergarten in our district is Kindergarten READY! 

Lumishka Trumbull, MSW Community and Parent Involvement Specialist (CPIS)                                         Nathan McBean, Fiscal Specialist; Joy Davis, Custodian

The Community and Parent Involvement Specialist (CPIS) oversees the district’s family services.  The CPIS supports the Family Workers at our preschool centers so that they are equipped to support our families, provide access to a wealth of local community resources and strengthen the home-school connection. She also organizes district-wide family involvement events, assists with staffing, and facilitates the Early Childhood Education Advisory Council (P.I.E.C.E.S.)

Preschool Intervention and Referral Specialists (PIRS)

 

The PIRS team supports classroom teachers by providing them with strategies to address challenges that our children may face in various areas of their development. Requests for Assistance (RFA) are made to the PIRS team through a screening process for all new entrants, as well ongoing observations made by teachers and/or the students’ caregivers. Based on the individual needs of each child, the PIRS team develops intervention plans and provides coaching to classroom teachers that promote the social-emotional development of their students.

Early Childhood Nurses

 

The Early Childhood Nurses collaborate with the Child Care Centers to ensure that our students can thrive in an academic environment. They provide screenings, maintain health records, and ensure that our students are receiving proper health care. Through student and parent education, they work to improve the well-being and quality of health for our children and their families.

Preschool Instructional Coaches

 

The Preschool Instructional Coaches (formerly known as Master Teachers) work to improve the instructional component of our preschool program. Through ongoing assessment, targeted professional development and a reflective coaching practice; our coaches support the preschool teachers so that they are ready and able to provide our students with the high-quality preschool program that will prepare them for Kindergarten and beyond. 

OEC Secretaries

 

The secretaries of OEC happily greet incoming families and assist them as they navigate the enrollment process. Their primary responsibility is to ensure that our students can attend our program through the creation and management of a well-organized intake and registration process. Additionally, our team supports the Director and Supervisor with all administrative needs such as credentialing of teachers, ordering and maintaining supplies, and helping with organization of the entire office.