Steve Adubato is joined by Roger León, Superintendent, Newark Public Schools, to discuss the academic and instructional priorities for the school year and the greatest lessons he has learned during his tenure.

As part of the conversation, Steve Adubato and the Superintendent discussed the continued challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. Roger León says, “The impact of the pandemic is what I see as the challenge. I don’t want to blame COVID for anything. The reality is that its impact has lingered and we’re working aggressively towards addressing students’ needs on two fronts. The academic programming and what the pandemic unveiled, which was the social-emotional learning needs of our students. It wasn’t that some students needed assistance and support beyond the academic programming, but that the overwhelming majority of our students not only needed it before the pandemic but also needed it post the pandemic.”