Meet the RACs

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Region 3

Counties: Essex, Hudson

Office location:

Learning Resource Center – North
7 Glenwood Avenue, 2nd Floor
 East Orange, New Jersey 07017 [map]

Number of Priority and Focus Schools: 72

Executive Director: Dr. Gayle W. Griffin

Bio:Dr. Gayle W. Griffin
Dr. Gayle W. Griffin serves as Executive Director of the NJDOE's Region 3 Regional Achievement Center, Essex and Hudson Counties. In this role, Dr. Griffin is responsible for guiding school improvement efforts and coordinating state services to the Priority and Focus schools within the region. Her career as an educator includes service as Assistant Superintendent and Executive Director Office of Innovation and Change with the Newark Public Schools for over ten years.  Most recently, she was the Network Turn Around Officer with the NJDOE School Improvement Grants (SIG) program working in three Jersey City Public Schools: Fred Martin Center for the Arts, The Academy of the Arts at Henry Snyder High School, and Abraham Lincoln High School: Leadership Academy. Prior to her tenure with the Newark Public Schools, Dr. Griffin was a teacher, supervisor, and principal with the Pittsburgh Public Schools. During her years as a principal, student achievement gains showed substantial growth in Literacy and Mathematics. She is a certified Critical Friends Group Facilitator, and a member of the National School Reform Faculty, through the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, Brown University. She has been featured principal in several articles: Annenberg Institute's 1999 Principals' Leadership, PHI DELTA KAPPAN, "The Challenge to Leadership: Focusing on Student Achievement", by Mary Neuman and Judith Pelchat in June 2001, and The School Administrator, "Creating Sustainable Reform: Five Urban Districts Implement Models for Continuous Improvement and Lasting Change", By Christopher Brown and David Spangler in September 2006.  Additionally, Dr. Griffin's work in curriculum and supervision was recognized in 2008 by The Council of the Great City Schoolsfor excellence as a Curriculum Leader in Urban Schools. Dr. Griffin earned her B.A. degree from Chatham College, and her M.Ed. in Educational Philosophy and Ph.D. in Curriculum Development and Clinical Supervision from the University of Pittsburgh.  

Meet the rest of the Region 3 staff