(upbeat music) - Hey, everyone.

Steve Adubato.

Let's talk education.

We are taping in the summer.

It'll be seen as school starts.

We kick off the program with Roger Leon, who's the superintendent of Newark Public Schools.

We have a long-time collaboration with Newark Public Schools promoting the leaders of tomorrow.

Good to see you, Roger.

- Great seeing you, sir.

- Help us understand this.

Why are you so bullish, positive, upbeat about public education in the Newark Public Schools with all the challenges you face in Newark and other urban public school districts?

- Obviously, the work that we're doing in Newark just embodies the greatness of our state and obviously the incredible work that is occurring across the country.

Urban school districts, not only in New Jersey, but throughout this entire country, have a responsibility.

We have, in many instances, the majority of the students with varying needs, and so to be able to address those needs becomes a task that is very, very complicated.

And so, finding strategies that are helping our greatest of students realize their fullest potential is an absolutely incredible thing.

And having been one of them right here in Newark, as you already know, born and raised, it just gives me great pride to see the greatness of what our students are accomplishing right here in Newark.

- You know, full disclosure, Roger was part of an event.

Every year, I host the, MC, the graduation ceremony at a charter school in Newark, the Robert Treat Academy that my dad, the late Steve Adubato Sr., started.

And I think it's one of the first charter schools in the state in the nation, and Roger was the superintendent, was the commencement speaker.

Eighth graders, charter school.

First of all, what you have to say, we'll talk about in a second.

People go, "Oh, charter schools.

So they're not public, but the public school superintendent was there."

So that's just not true, Roger, is it?

- Oh, absolutely not.

This whole idea, especially in Newark, we were struggling with, from the 1990s into the early 2000s, was families fighting against each other when parents really just want what's best for their kids.

And, you know, as you always know, I always talk about my mom.

She always says that a parent really just wants their child to be better than them.

And so the idea that there are choice opportunities becomes extremely important.

The interesting thing as we return back to local control in 2020 is that the district also is a choice for a school.

So, having the opportunity to speak at the Robert Treat Academy commencement exercise was an incredible honor because all of the students that are in Newark, whether they're in the school district's schools, in charter schools, private schools, parochial schools, or even the children who don't attend a Newark school but live in Newark, all of those are my students.

So, being able to let them know how proud I was of them at Robert Treat is consistent with not only what I believe I'm supposed to do as superintendent of schools in Newark, but what I've been taught to do ever since I was born.

- Roger, let's talk graduation rates.

Lots of talk.

"Oh, the graduation rate in Newark is lower than it is in other better-performing suburban schools."

What's reality?

- Well, the interesting thing is that Governor Christie and other governors agreed upon a definition of what is graduation rate.

So, it is the cohort of students that enter in your freshman year, and they actually stay all of the four years of their schooling.

What percent of those students actually graduate?

So, in Newark, we had, at one point in time when I was a principal, over 54% high mobility rate, which means the students that enter aren't necessarily the students that remain.

- Right.

- And many a times, the students that are tested are not the students that were there at the start of the year, so they didn't benefit from the academic programming.

So, ultimately, what we're responsible for is every single student, regardless of where they are, especially if they left Newark Public Schools.

And so, because of the mobility rate, things of that nature, it becomes very, very difficult in urban schools to actually get as close to that 100% mark.

How many of our students actually graduate from high school?

Well, all of the students that actually graduate from high school graduate from high school.

The issue becomes the number of students that left during one of their years of high school, where are they?

So making sure that we are cognizant of where they actually enroll and the fact that if they do finish, it's then the responsibility of the receiving district that has.

- Okay, so let's talk after graduation.

By the way, the Newark Public Schools have been designated as a, quote, "high-performing district."

Who determines that, Roger?

- That's all determined by the State Department of Education right here in the state of New Jersey.

- So, one of the things you talked about at that graduation ceremony was, because these Robert Treat Academy kids who might know well because our family's been very involved in that school, I know where they're going to school.

They're going to some great schools, great colleges, great high schools and colleges.

Where do your high school graduates go, and how has that evolved in the last few years?

- Yeah, so I do wanna answer that, but I don't know if you remember.

26 of the students at Robert Treat Academy Charter School are coming to my high schools- - Are going into... That's right.

- Because they have actually made that very important decision that there are actually high schools in Newark that can meet not only their expectations, but also to accomplish their dreams.

- Those are eighth graders going into high school, but you are- - Those are eighth graders going to high school.

- Sorry for interrupting, Roger.

You were talking about your high school seniors in the Newark Public Schools and where they're going to college.

- Yes, absolutely.

So, we have Omari Gaines, who a year ago entered Stanford.

He's our first student that went there.

And now, Zaiden McDonald is following him along already this year.

We're extremely proud of that.

I have my army of five students that are all going to Brown.

The interesting thing about these students, the one that's going to Harvard, the two that are in Princeton, Emilio and Justin.

Emilio is from Technology High School.

Justin is from Malcolm X Shabazz High School.

Both are going to Princeton, and they're all going on full rides.

The five kids that I have going to Brown, all five of them are on full rides, all because of the incredible work that was occurring at the different schools that they attended.

Two from Data Science, my new school.

Two from Science Park, the school, my alma mater where I graduated from, and one kid from East Side High School.

- So, hold on.

They're going to very impressive schools, that's great, but for some kids who choose not to go that route, there's a place for them in trade schools?

- Oh, absolutely.

But before we do that, because sometimes the college presidents in New Jersey get a little tickled.

- Yeah, like, "What about us?"

Yeah, well guess what?

- "What about us?"

- I have an army going to Montclair State University.

That's where I received my master's.

- My alma mater.

- I have a crew that's going to my alma mater at Rutgers in New Brunswick, as well as a good number at Rutgers, Newark, NJIT, William Paterson, Kean University.

So, I have students that are going to not only our state schools.

Drew University is receiving Divine Kibe, who is our Newark Public Schools student representative.

- Wow.

- The talent across, not only the state and the country, Newark kids.

But you're absolutely right.

There are some students that, ultimately at the end, regardless of our preparation for them, they're deciding that something other than college is in front of them.

So, we have my 311 Carpentry Program at Barringer High School where I have students that are not only becoming carpenters, but actually getting into the unions, becoming union members, and then returning back to Newark Public Schools as our own carpenters.

Just like the students at Montclair State University and those who are in my Teacher Academy program, they know that they get a district contract upon graduation.

I issued 54 Newark Public Schools teacher contracts to students that just graduated this June, and four years from now, they'll return back as teachers in Newark Public Schools.

- And that's at Montclair State.

- That's at Montclair State, but I want you to be aware that some of the students that are in our programs decide to go to different colleges all across our state, so that opportunity is forwarded to all of them.

- Roger Leon, thank you, my friend.

Keep doing important work with the staff and the educators, but mostly to the students in the Newark Public Schools, of which I am a product.

Thank you, my friend.

- Appreciate you.

- You got it.

Stay with us, we'll be right back.

- [Narrator] One-On-One with Steve Adubato is a production of the Caucus Educational Corporation.

Funding has been provided by EJI, Excellence in Medicine Awards.

A New Jersey health foundation program.

PSEG Foundation.

NJ Best, New Jersey’s five-two-nine college savings plan.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

New Jersey Sharing Network.

The Burke Foundation The Adler Aphasia Center.

New Brunswick Development Corporation.

And by United Airlines.

Promotional support provided by Meadowlands Chamber.

And by BestofNJ.com.

- Next, please.

Okay, we need a neutral expression.

Sir, you're smiling.

- Oh, am I?

- [Narrator] Over 1 million lives in the US have been saved by organ donations.

So when you choose to become a donor, you're doing something good, which can make you feel really good.

- Next.

(woman sighs) - [Narrator] Register today at NJSN.org.