Chelsea Collins and Scott Oswald named to lead JerseyCAN’s Fellowships
[New Jersey – August 20, 2024] JerseyCAN, the only statewide advocacy organization in New Jersey committed to ensuring access to high-quality public schools for every child regardless of zip code, cultural background, and socioeconomic status, announced today that Dr. Chelsea Collins has been appointed to serve as Director of NJ Teacher Leader Policy and Parent Champions for Strong Schools Fellowships. An accomplished professional, Dr. Collins was named the New Jersey Department of Education’s (NJDOE) New Jersey State Teacher of the Year in 2015-2016. She was only 29 years old and the youngest winner of the prestigious award. In addition to serving as a Language Arts teacher at Woodstown Middle School and the NJ Department of Education, Dr. Collins has served as one of the top education advisors in the Garden State. Currently, she serves as a consultant and presenter for the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association’s NJ Leadership Academy, a consultant to NJ Tutoring Corps, and a senior advisor to Learning Forward, a national professional learning organization. She also co-leads the NJ Council of State Teachers of the Year and has been a long-time advisor to JerseyCAN.
Joining Dr. Collins in leading the two Fellowships is 14-year veteran superintendent of the Collingswood and Oaklyn School Districts, Dr. Scott Oswald. Dr. Oswald currently serves as a consultant for NJ Tutoring Corps and an Adjunct Faculty member at Rowan University and Stockton University. Dr. Oswald also works with a2z Equity Coaching, coaching school staffs and leaders in multiple New Jersey school districts around issues of equity, and works with the Rowan School Regionalization Institute to study the potential regionalization of school districts throughout New Jersey.
JerseyCAN is currently accepting teacher and parent candidates for both Fellowships’ 2024-2025 cohorts. Preference will be given to applicants who apply before September 9, 2024. Information on how to apply is showcased in this press release. Additional information about these fellowships, including the application, can be found here.
“Chelsea has served in various capacities at JerseyCAN and as an education advisor to many across the state. We are thrilled that Chelsea and Scott’s leadership, insights, and vision will now serve our two great Fellowship programs,” stated JerseyCAN Executive Director Paula White. “JerseyCAN launched the NJ Teacher Leader Policy and Parent Champions for Strong Schools Fellowships to build cohorts of education advocates to strengthen the voices of parents and teachers throughout the Garden State and ultimately train the next generation of education policy leaders. Through the years, JerseyCAN’s two Fellowships have become incubators for change and have evolved into something special and needed in New Jersey. As seen in the halls of the State Capitol and on the local level, parents and teachers are engaging with their state’s leaders to offer their insights, leadership and perspectives on decisions being made in education. The success of JerseyCAN’s fellowship programs has already been evident as our Fellows have become influencers in drafting policy with elected leaders and have helped lead initiatives in their school districts and communities to build needed, positive change. With Chelsea and Scott’s leadership, we are investing in the growth of our Fellowships, and there is no better partnership to drive these programs into the future.”
“Having been involved in JerseyCAN’s Fellowships from the beginning, I know firsthand the impact and opportunity this investment has provided the state,” stated Dr. Collins. “JerseyCAN’s Fellowships have become an ideal platform for bringing together teachers and parents who are passionate about improving outcomes for NJ students and providing them with the tools they need to advocate at the local and state levels successfully. The insights of teachers and families must inform our state and local policy discussions, so seeing them leverage the experiences and skills gained in the Fellowships to impact legislation and policy development has been gratifying. I look forward to working with this Fall’s cohorts and further growing and developing the Fellowship participation and impact throughout the state.”
“Teachers and families are the number one advocates for our young people. JerseyCAN’s Fellowships provide the opportunity to influence and provide needed input around educational decisions. We are training the next generation of education leaders and building a community of teachers and parents who are uniting to advocate for the best possible outcomes for our students,” stated Dr. Oswald.
