Clifton, NJ - August 11, 2022 - Last week, ClassLink celebrated the accomplishments of exceptional New Jersey educators at their annual Seaside Celebration for Ed Leaders in Asbury Park, New Jersey. Bringing together educators and thought leaders from across the state—the event gave guests a chance to connect, kick off a new school year, and celebrate their colleagues!
Congratulations to the Winners of the 2022 NJ Visionary Awards!
To be a visionary, an educator must have the passion and creativity to design future-focused learning experiences and programs. Despite the challenges of the past few years, NJ educators remain committed to creating innovative initiatives that inspire and empower students and colleagues. Three outstanding individuals who consistently go above and beyond to serve their communities were honored at the event.
“ClassLink is honored to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of the NJ Visionary Award Winners. Without educators, there is no ClassLink! Thank you for your visionary work, for sharing your talents and gifts, and for your dedication to education.”
NJ Visionary Teacher Award
Winner: Danielle Kay (English Teacher, Mount Olive Township School District)
Danielle has taught English for over 20 years and is the club advisor for Spectrum, the Mount Olive High School Gay-Straight Alliance. The mission of Spectrum mirrors Danielle’s vision of empowering students to be allies who fight discrimination and bias of all kinds on campus and beyond. She holds monthly meetings, creating opportunities for students of all backgrounds to gather together and build community. The club hosts group discussions, film screenings, guest speakers, virtual field trips, anti-bias training, arts and crafts, and other activities to promote empowerment through dialogue, reflection, and action.
NJ Visionary Technology Leader Award
Winner: Paulette Salomon (Supervisor of Educational Technology, East Orange School District)
Paulette began her career as a classroom teacher in various disciplines, including English, Spanish, and Technology. She was the first to integrate technology into her English classroom in her middle school. Paulette taught for 27 years before moving into the administrative side of education, where she has served as a Supervisor of Education Technology for the past 12 years. Now, she leads the effort to achieve the district’s goals to boost student achievement, promote critical thinkers, and prepare students to meet the challenges of our evolving global society through various technology tools and resources.
NJ Visionary Superintendent Award
Winner: Glenn Robbins (Superintendent, Brigantine Public Schools)
Implementing the design thinking concepts from the Stanford d.school, Glenn worked with administration and stakeholders to design new practices to accelerate and innovate educational transformation. Utilizing marketing skills to create the "BrigStrong One Team" slogan to unite everyone, administrators pushed aside their titles and did the work needed to design and create a unified approach that brought out the U-N-I-T-Y in the word community.
Partnering with the local Chamber of Commerce and City Council, the district worked to create programs like a first-of-its-kind esports team and a Surf Club with Beach Patrol. A STEM program was also created through a partnership with the Boys and Girls Club, and an SEL program was designed for students, parents, and community members. These are only a few of the programs and initiatives that have blossomed since Glenn Robbins began his tenure at Brigantine Community Schools on February 1, 2020.