Central Team

Claudia Burzichelli

Claudia Burzichelli, Founder and Executive Director of the Center for Effective School Practices (CESP) at Rutgers University leads a comprehensive Pre-K-12 organization dedicated to school improvement.

Burzichelli was most recently the Executive Director of the Coalition of Essential Schools New Jersey and had been involved with CES-NJ since it was established in 1994. Burzichelli became the Director of CES-NJ coinciding with the Abbott mandate for Whole School Reform partnership implementation. Under Burzichelli's leadership CES-NJ has grown to a network of over 70 schools, from an initial group of 10 founding schools and 5 Abbott schools. Prior to her appointment with CES-NJ she was a senior specialist with the New Jersey Statewide Systemic Initiative for mathematics and science improvement. Prior to joining Rutgers she worked with both urban and suburban school districts embarking on reform efforts in New Jersey as well as nationally. She was Director of Communication for the New Jersey State Department of Education under the Abbott II implementation. She has been a visiting lecturer at Rutgers University. Before focusing her career on education reform she worked in the private sector for a national consulting company, a Fortune 500 company, a small entrepreneurial public company, as well as a national science magazine/book company/television program. Burzichelli has managed budgets of over $5 million dollars.

Burzichelli's experience in school reform at a policy as well as implementation level complements her management and entrepreneurial skills. Claudia brings a full complement of experience in project/program administration, strategic planning, research, advocacy, fund-raising, communications, and managing the change process. Her unique business and education background has enabled her to build and sustain a completely self-supported organization with great promise for the future in serving schools' growing leadership, organizational, and continuing education needs. Burzichelli developed the concept for the Center for Effective School Practices to advance effective leadership, organizational design, community engagement and classroom practices that help all students acquire the knowledge and abilities that are needed to be successful and productive in a democratic society.

Jeanette Haran

Jeanette joined the Center in October 2001. As the Business Assistant she reports directly to Christine Skok, the Assistant Director for Administrative Services. Jeanette provides confidential and analytical support with regards to the Center's business operations. She is the primary processor and recorder of the Center's financial transactions including purchase orders, travel and business expense reimbursements, check requests and consulting agreements.

Heather R. Ngoma

Heather R. Ngoma is the Director of the Charter School Resource Center. Previously, she served as a writing instructor at Montclair State University and taught literacy studies at Washington Academy of Music in East Orange, where she was Teacher of the Year in 1996 and founded The Aspiring Writers' Club . She is a 1993 Teach For America alumna and has served on the Program Committee for the organization's Community Advisory Board. Heather is a fellow with Leadership Newark and a member of the Education Advisory Council for the New Jersey Performing Arts Center. She holds a M.A. from Middlebury College and a B.A. from Grambling State University. Heather serves on the board for the American Council on Education and is a member of the Gender Equity Advisory Council of New Jersey.

Christine Skok

Christine Skok is the Assistant Director of Administrative Services for CESP. In this capacity, Christine is responsible for executing the assorted and detailed processes related to CESP school contracts and consultant agreements. Prior to working for CESP, Christine held positions at the New Jersey Statewide Systemic Initiative (at Rutgers University) as well as the Center for Mathematics, Science and Computer Education where she gained extensive experience with the financial management of grants. Christine's capacity to accurately and efficiently tend to the financial details of the CESP operation and her tireless commitment to serving the CESP community are highly appreciated by schools and consultants alike.

Coaching Team

Chirine Darwiche

Chirine Darwiche is a specialist among the CESP staff in data collection and analysis. Chirine completed her Ed.D. at Teachers College Columbia University in 1997 having done a study of the effects of a New York Initiative to revitalize distressed communities through transforming public school buildings into neighborhood centers. Chirine's background also includes programmatic coordination, curriculum development and assessment of ESL projects in both New York City and overseas. Chirine is presently the CES coach for Academy 1 Middle School in Jersey City, and Schools 11 and 16 in Paterson.

Jim DeLaney

Jim DeLaney's twenty plus years of experience as Teaneck High School Principal have provided a rich foundation for his contributions to school reform efforts and initiatives. Jim had the distinction of being among 25 Fellows for School Leadership selected by the Dodge Foundation in 1992-1993 and has had long-term experiences as a Chairperson for the Visitation Committees for both the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Jim has also served as Adjunct Professor and Certification officer at Fairleigh Dickinson University and has worked with the Small Schools Initiative as well as the Innovative Paterson Academies. Jim was the Director of the Charter School Resource Center of New Jersey (New Jersey Institute for School Innovation). As a mentor for principals-in-training, Jim has worked with schools in Elizabeth, Jersey City, Newark, and Passaic, in addition to John F. Kennedy High School and several Academies in Paterson. In collaboration with Hilda Rosario, Jim worked on a Newark Leadership Academy for alternative secondary program leaders. He has served as interim director of a small learning community in Hoboken and most recently is working with CESP on the AVID initiative, PBL (Project Based Learning), and Leadership Programs.

Joseph FitzPatrick

Joe FitzPatrick's wide-ranging experience as a teacher, supervisor, professor, and director of state level reform initiatives considerably strengthens the work of CES-NJ. Having served the Delaware public school system since 1961, Joe earned his Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Delaware in 1976 with a specialization in Research Methodology and Evaluation. He continued in supervisory capacities within Delaware school districts and from 1987-1991 became Director of the RE: LEARNING Delaware Statewide School Reform Initiative (a national CES Initiative). In 1994, Joe was the recipient of the Delaware State Education Association's prestigious Helen Wise Award for "Career-Long Contributions to the Public Education in Delaware." Joe is the CES coach for Vineland High School North, Port Norris Middle School, and Haleyville Elementary School. He is the AVID coach for the Harrisburg (PA) School District, Montclair, and Philipsburg School Districts and is also the CESP AVID coordinator for South Jersey.

Frank Livoy

Frank Livoy brings twenty-eight years of experience as a secondary language arts instructor and theater director in Wilmington, Delaware and Pennsylvania. Frank has served on district and state task forces in curriculum development and strategic planning. His classroom practice and curriculum design experiences includes all levels from Advanced Placement to Special Education courses. He has directed over forty major theater productions in both school and community theaters. Frank is currently coach for Memorial and Millville Senior High Schools in Millville; Pleasantville High School in Pleasantville; and D'Ippolito, Landis, Rossi and Veterans Memorial Intermediate Schools in Vineland. He also serves as Regional Coordinator for CES-NJ schools in South Jersey.

William Pollock

Bill Pollock's 36 years of experience in educational leadership includes ten years at the High Technology High School where he was the founding principal. This school was nationally recognized as a Blue Ribbon School in 1997 and Bill was acknowledged as MetLife/NASSP Principal of the Year in 1996. Bill was also a member of the Executive Board of the Principals' Center for the Garden State and was designated as a Dodge Fellow by the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation. Bill holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from Nova Southeastern University and his specializations include technology, team leadership, CFG's, PBL, school design and school culture building. Bill is the CES coach for Trenton Central High School in Trenton; AVID coach for Witherspoon MS, Princeton; Piscataway High School and represents CESP with the National School Reform Faculty and the NJ Career Academy Principals' Group. He also leads the design of emerging programs and activities along with the senior staff of CESP.

Hilda Rosario

Hilda Rosario's broad-based background in administration, fundraising, program development, counseling, bilingual education and community organizing have provided a superb foundation for her contributions to CES. Prior to her current role as a CES coach, Hilda was the Director of School Support for CES and Project Coordinator of the New Jersey Statewide Systematic Initiative. These roles involved extensive work in the professional development of teachers and coaches as well as data collection and analysis. Hilda's professional background also includes widespread executive contributions to a number of initiatives for the educational advancement of students of color. At the New Jersey Institute of Technology, Hilda was Project Administrator for the Greater Newark Alliance for Minority Participation and prior to this she was Executive Director of Aspira where she raised and monitored a $1,000,000 budget. Hilda's background includes a number of administrative leadership roles in high education as well. Hilda is currently CES Coach for East Side High school, West Kinney, and Gateway Academy in Newark; Passaic High School in Passaic; Renaissance One, Martin Luther King, Jr. and John F. Kennedy High School in Paterson; Phillipsburg High School in Phillipsburg.

Rebecca L. Lubetkin

Rebecca Lubetkin is the founding director of CES-NJ. Retired as a professor in the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers, she was recently appointed Professor Emerita. During her tenure at Rutgers she served as founder and director of the Consortium for Educational Equity, as well as Associate Director for Equity of the Rutgers Center for Mathematics, Science and Computer Education. Widely regarded as an expert in equity, especially in the area of improving the achievement of poor, ethnic and racial minorities, she has extensive experience in assisting schools engaged in major reform efforts. In retirement, Lubetkin continues to write, speak and consult widely. She has also embarked on new undertakings including developing a charter school, writing a new book, and energetically working for the elimination of world slavery through the American Antislavery Group.