Dr. Najla Solomon
Biography
Dr. Najla Solomon is a first-generation college graduate. While attending college, she received the confirmation from a professor who strongly encouraged her to major in English Literature and minor in Secondary Education. By 2000, Najla obtained her bachelor’s degree from St. Peter’s College in Jersey City, NJ, directly after she returned to St. Peter’s to work toward obtaining a Master of Art in Supervision and Urban Leadership (graduated 2002). She recently earned her Doctorate in Education for School Leadership from Kean University in 2015. Dr. Solomon has served as an educator for 17 years. Six of those years were spent as a teacher of English Language Arts, three years as a Literacy Coach and eight years spent as an administrator. Her experiences range from grades Pre-K-12. Early in her career, she had the pleasure of working in her hometown of East Orange (returning to her city as a teacher in the middle school that she graduated from), larger districts such as Newark, Paterson and Jersey City. Two years of her administrative journey were spent in a newly founded charter high school, three years as a K-8 vice principal and her current role is a middle school vice principal in the city of Plainfield for the past three years. These combined experiences have allowed Dr. Solomon to gain further insight to the organizational structures of private, charter and public sectors of education. Her current role as vice principal requires her to lead the “Turn Around” effort at the middle school level for what the New Jersey Department of Education classifies as a Priority School. As a priority school administrator, she has been charged with increasing the overall academic achievement, college readiness, attendance/behavioral rates as well as make improvements in the overall culture/climate of the school. This effort is a challenging endeavor, however Dr. Solomon believes the reward of improving the learning environment for children is the reason why she entered into the field of education. She and her administrative team were recognized by the Acting Commissioner of Education and the Regional Achievement Center (RAC) from the New Jersey Department of Education as making significant improvement in student academic growth over the past three years. She is an active member of Black Parents of Successful Sons Empowered (B.P.O.S.S.E.) and has spent time in the past coaching recreational basketball for 5-6-year-old children. Additionally, she is part of a Steering Committee partnership between Kean University and her district for a teacher mentor federal grant funded program, was a Supplemental Education Provider for the New Jersey Department of Education as well as has served as a facilitator of professional development for concepts on school leadership, curriculum development, Achieve NJ, new teacher training, literacy based concepts, testing and data analysis. Outside of her professional and personal commitments, she enjoys bike riding, routine exercise, traveling, going to the movies (alone), dining at quaint restaurants and dives, reading and spending quality time with her sons.