We are Lakewood, NJ students, parents, teachers, alumni and community members and we are asking for your help to keep Principal Ebony Rivera and Assistant Principal Magdalis Rodriguez Jones in Lakewood High School. 

In a surprise move the Township’s Board of Education has earmarked the two principals for re-assignment.  We all recall only a year ago the excitement that followed when they were hand-picked to bring a new vision to the high school following their stint at Ella G. Clarke. In example, under their leadership the school experienced significant growth and continued success and progress. The ELA proficiency scores increased from 10% in 3rd grade to 40% by 5th grade. The school met and exceeded all growth targets on the State Report Card. Additionally, Ella G. Clarke Elementary School was brought out of state monitoring and to date, remains out.  During this once-in-a-lifetime pandemic that has thrown the world into a spin, and created a new “temporary” normal, the two have utilized their Lakewood roots and continued to perform as leaders for students, faculty, and other stakeholders. During 2019-2020 school year, although faced with many challenges, this leadership team immediately began filling 19 staff vacancies to ensure that students had qualified champion educators providing their instruction. The next goal accomplished was to establish an expectation and achieve by bringing order to the hallways, facilitating timely transitions between classes using consistent hall sweeps, and ensuring that students were in class to learn. Most recently, in the midst of a world-wide corona pandemic and social unrest across the country, 270 of 278 senior students graduated and earned their diploma from Lakewood High School. Also, Lakewood High School has the highest enrollment in Ocean County College in the county, even in a pandemic.

Per a news article on APP.com today https://www.app.com/story/news/2020/06/24/lakewood-high-see-third-new-principal-less-than-two-years/3242557001/ it reads in part, Lakewood School District spokesman and board attorney Michael Inzelbuch did not provide specifics on why the transfers were being made, saying only, “the superintendent, who is the chief educational officer of the district, has placed on the agenda several lateral moves that are permitted under the law. I am constrained by the obvious legal protections afforded to all of our dedicated employees so I cannot discuss personnel matters." He later added, “the superintendent continues to look for any and all ways to further improve what I believe is the plight of our 6,400 public school students.”

Although research shows it takes 3-5 years to cultivate sustainable change, again, here we are less than a year from the last episode (August 2019), the Superintendent, who is the chief educational officer of the district and Board has decided to go against the wants and needs of those they are supposed to serve and instead continue their own tumultuous trends of playing musical chairs with principals, effectively rejecting any ideas of consistency, possibility for growth, sustainable change and most damaging, the education and well-being of our high school students, who are continuously being cheated. Enough is enough, this needs to STOP!   

I am very concerned for the Lakewood students and their families.  I am speaking up to be heard.

To the Chief Educational Officer and Board of Education of Lakewood, keep the valuable and well-respected educational champions Principal Ebony Rivera and Assistant Principal Magdalis Rodriguez Jones in Lakewood High School.

Go PINERS!!