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Next Generation of New Jersey’s Teacher and Parent Advocates Begin Year-Long Training to Develop Plans for Education Action in the Garden State
[New Jersey – October 22, 2025] JerseyCAN, the only statewide advocacy organization in New Jersey committed to ensuring access to high-quality public schools for every child, regardless of zip code, cultural background, and socioeconomic status, formally announced today that it has selected the 2025-26 participants for both its Teacher Leader Policy Fellowship and Parent Champions for Strong Schools Fellowship.
Now in their sixth and third years, respectively, both competitive fellowships were developed by JerseyCAN to foster statewide dialogue and change on education policy, elevate the voices of teachers and parents in decision-making, and cultivate a strong, connected network of education advocates across New Jersey. Participants of both fellowships discuss the latest policy trends and issues in New Jersey education and gain a deeper understanding of the state’s education policy landscape by expanding their knowledge of local, state, and national governance and developing strong engagement and advocacy skills. In addition, both fellowships leverage JerseyCAN’s strong relationships with elected officials in Trenton and across the state, offering multiple opportunities to network and connect with influential educational stakeholders.
“JerseyCAN launched the NJ Teacher Leader Policy and Parent Champions for Strong Schools fellowships to fuel the development of education improvement each year within the Garden State,” stated JerseyCAN Executive Director Paula White. “We believe that parents and teachers must have a strong voice and a seat at the table when it comes to our state’s educational choices and defining the priorities that directly impact their lives. JerseyCAN has taken great efforts to handcraft a program that recruits exceptional cohorts of concerned community members and trains fellows to become leaders in education policy, helping each create policy plans that can positively shape New Jersey’s future. Over the years, our fellows have become influencers in drafting policy with elected leaders and have helped lead initiatives at the district level to foster necessary positive change. Each year, JerseyCAN hosts an extensive and intense selection process, with each new fellow chosen for their deep and committed passion to contribute as advocates. This is an important annual moment for JerseyCAN. Both of these fellowship programs have evolved into one of JerseyCAN’s most impactful initiatives. We congratulate each new fellow and the New Jersey communities they represent.”
Both fellowships are led by Dr. Chelsea Collins and Dr. Scott Oswald. Dr. Collins was named the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) New Jersey State Teacher of the Year in 2015-2016. In addition to once serving as a Language Arts teacher at Woodstown Middle School, she currently serves as an education consultant to the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association’s NJ Leadership Academy, NJ Tutoring Corps, Penn Graduate School of Education, Learning Forward, and JerseyCAN. Dr. Oswald is a consultant for NJ Tutoring Corps and an Adjunct Faculty member at Rowan University and Stockton University. Dr. Oswald also works with a2z Equity, coaching school staff and leaders in multiple New Jersey school districts around equity issues, and works with the Rowan School Regionalization Institute to study the potential regionalization of school districts throughout New Jersey.
Over the years, fellows have actively shaped education policy at both the state and local levels, including drafting legislative policy in Trenton, serving on NJDOE advisory committees, publishing op-eds in prominent outlets, and leading targeted initiatives to advance meaningful advancements in their school communities. As part of the fellowship, each participant conceptualizes and leads a personal project representing a policy issue related to their passions and interests. Last year, fellows addressed topics such as addressing teacher certification barriers, empowering STEM teachers to foster greater collaboration statewide, developing multigenerational literacy mentorship programs, developing actions and initiatives to support parents navigating the state’s complex education systems for their children, and starting a program to support first-generation college students in Newark.
The following lists those who have been chosen to participate in this year’s cohorts:
2025-2026 Parent Champions for Strong Schools Fellowship
Vanessa Johnson – Belleville
Fang Gong – Livingston
Tabia Beckett – Irvington
Ivonne Garcia – Jersey City
Tiffany Newton – Irvington
Catherine Gonzalez – Newark
Harshavardhan Raju – Livingston
Maria Andrade – Kearny
Laren Burdge – Freehold
Diamond Jones – West Orange
2025-2026 JerseyCAN’s Teacher Leader Policy Fellowship
Brianna Anderson – Math, Elk Township School District
Alexis Bellardino – Special Education, Berkeley Heights Township School District
Jonathan Bosa – Math (Pre-Algebra), West New York School District
Shaina Brenner – Elementary, Jackson School District
Jo Ann Dorsey – Math, Union City Public Schools
Robert Fitzpatrick – ELA, Penns Grove Carneys Point Regional School District
Leslye Folmar – General Education, Morris School District
Hillary Raszka – Instructional Coach, Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District
Susan Shaw-Rexford – STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math), Newark Public Schools
Jeremy Rodas – Social Studies/Science – Cresthaven Academy Charter School in Plainfield
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Contact: Matthew Frankel, MDF Strategies, (917) 617-7914, Matthew@MDFStrategies.com