'No. 1 priority': Paterson superintendent races against time to find teachers

PATERSON, N.J. (PIX11) -- Paterson Public Schools is working against the clock to find teachers.

A dynamic experience with many challenges is how Paterson's superintendent of schools described her first year on the job. She is on a mission to find educators who fit the district's needs before the new academic year begins in just two weeks.

“It has to be my No. 1 priority; I need a teacher in every classroom to start the school year. The last number we had were 166 teacher vacancies,” said Dr. Laurie Newell.

PIX11 News asked her why recruiting teachers here in Paterson has been so hard. 

“It’s not necessarily a Paterson problem; we have had a nationwide shortage of teachers, and it has been compounded since COVID. For our kids to really learn, they need to have qualified instructors in front of them,” Newell said.

Parents like Carlos agreed.

“We need better teachers who know how to deal with kids, especially with inner city kids,” he stated.

For Newell, who has been at this job for a year, another top priority is for students to reach grade level. Low test scores in Paterson Public Schools have been a concerning problem for many years.

“We have had some academic challenges. Some of our schools are not where we would like them to be. You go into a classroom and see students are so gifted, so it is up to us as adults to bring that out,” she said.

With almost 27,000 students, it is the third-largest public school district in New Jersey. Around 68.5% of students are Latino, 19.4% African American, 5.8% Asian, and 4.7 % Caucasian.

PIX11 News also asked Newell about Paterson Public School No. 3, which closed last year after the roof collapsed in July. She said the school is expected to re-open in 2026.

Classrooms in Paterson have a history of being overcrowded. Newell said they are enrolling even more students because of the migrant crisis.

“Since September of last year, about 1,700 students have come to our borders where English is not their first language. So yes, we will have some classrooms with more kids in the classrooms and other classrooms where they are state standard,” she added.

As part of her plan, some school principals were recently reassigned to a different school. This move was opposed by staff members and even parents, but the district eventually revered some of those transfers.

“Some of the movements is just trying to match what their skills set are with certain schools and that is why we did some of those movements, and I understand change is hard and parents and students get attached to their principals. For me, in the seat, I have to make those tough decisions. And I know sometimes things are not popular. But it is not out to hurt people is really how we can lift the district,” concluded Newell.