Jessie Gómez

Jessie Gómez

Reporter, Chalkbeat Newark

Jessie Gomez is a Reporter at Chalkbeat Newark covering Newark Public Schools. She is a proud Latina and first-generation college student with experience covering local communities and Black and Latino communities. Jessie was previously a reporter at The Record/Northjersey.com covering Morris and Bergen County communities in New Jersey. Before that, Jessie had a one-year fellowship at MuckRock, a non-profit news site based in Boston, focused on public records law and FOIA work. Jessie also has experience in political communications, broadcast and digital media.

Acting Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer issued decisions to 14 charter schools, including two in Newark, requesting renewals to their charter agreements, amendments, or grade-level expansions.

Newark is the first city in the state to lower the voting age to 16 for school board elections and this week, local officials and groups will start promoting voter registration among teens.

Newark city and school officials said they will fight to keep families safe as fears over President Donald Trump’s new immigration policies grow.

Community members on Thursday urged Superintendent Roger León to address racial tensions in schools and provide transparency after a leaked draft report found Black students endured anti-Black racism.

The state’s acting education commissioner denied the district’s petition to remove school board member Dawn Haynes. The commissioner’s decision comes after a judge ruled against the petition.

A state judge denied the board’s petition to unseat a member over a conflict of interest after her daughter filed a claim against NPS alleging racial harassment during her time at Global Studies. The state’s education commissioner will issue a final decision.

Six-year board of education member Dawn Haynes may be ousted from her seat after the Newark school board sent a petition to the state for the recommendation of her removal.

The New Jersey School Ethics Commission dismissed complaints alleging two Newark school board members violated the Ethics Act after failing to seat Thomas Luna to the board last fall.

Newark Public Schools students with disabilities learn about consent, inclusivity, and healthy relationships through Planned Parenthood’s sex education workshops.