Greater Newark

  • Though New Jersey has some of the top schools in the country, in Newark just 22% of ninth graders will graduate high school in four years.

  • Led by Superintendent Cami Anderson (Los Angeles Corps ‘93), State Education Commissioner Chris Cerf, and Mayor Cory Booker, and supported by $100 million from Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Newark’s educational landscape is poised for positive change.

About Greater Newark

New Jersey is on a balance, waiting for its tipping point that will transform the educational opportunities for all children growing up in the Garden State. The inertia for transformational change that has been building in Newark and across the state this past year is palpable. Our Republican governor and Democratic mayor are joining forces on education reforms that aim to improve the prospects of all children growing up in poverty. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg pointed a national spotlight on Newark, the largest urban school district in the state, by challenging us to leverage his $100 million grant to make meaningful advancements in our schools. Also, Teach For America alumna Cami Anderson (Los Angeles Corps ‘93) was appointed superintendent of Newark Public Schools, fueling a renewed sense of optimism amongst families and educators alike with her track record of success and her unflagging belief in the potential of every child.

To followers of public education in New Jersey, the past 30 years have provided one clear lesson: money alone will not improve the educational landscape in our state. In order to change the outcomes for New Jersey’s lower income students, several key ingredients must combine: a bold and robust vision, strong leadership, political will, and community involvement and engagement. Fortunately, these integral components are developing in Newark and targeted cities across New Jersey.

Teach For America - Greater Newark is growing the number of committed classroom teachers and leaders at all levels of education who are working in partnership to strengthen local schools and create a future filled with positive options for all of our children. Our community has reason to be optimistic that Newark and the state of New Jersey are poised for significant and powerful changes that will greatly improve the educational outlook for all of our students
 

Leadership

Fatimah Burnam-Watkins
Executive Director
60 Park Place, 18th Floor
Newark, NJ 07102
Tel 973-621-6644
Fax 973-621-7766
Join Our Staff
A native of the Garden State,.Fatimah Burnam-Watkins taught high school humanities as a 2001 Teach For America corps member in Baltimore while pursuing a Master's in Secondary Education Administration at Johns Hopkins University.

In 2003, Fatimah joined the Teach For America staff as a manager, teacher leadership and development in New York City, and later joined the teacher preparation team where she helped launch the charter Philadelphia institute in 2005. 

Fatimah quickly transitioned to become Teach For America's Philadelphia institute director, and for three years she oversaw the training and support of over 900 teachers and 250 staff members. Utilizing her experience in management and strategy, Fatimah continued her work with Teach For America as a business partner for the vice presidents of our teacher training support and development teams. In this capacity she was responsible for building a centralized enterprise to support the recruitment and selection of over 1,200 institute staff members.

In her current role, Fatimah is responsible for maximizing the organization's impact in Greater Newark by working to grow Teach For America's presence in the community, ensuring effectiveness of corps members, and building a sustainable base of financial support. Fatimah graduated from the University of Maryland and lives with her husband, Jon, and 4 year old triplets Bryce, Cole, and Corynne.

Regional Stats

1993
YEAR TFA ARRIVED
166
CORPS SIZE THIS YEAR
563
ALUMNI IN THE REGION
396
ALUMNI IN EDUCATION
39
ALUMNI SCHOOL LEADERS
52
SCHOOLS WITH CORPS MEMBERS