Today I’m pleased to be joined by Raheema Battles, a classroom educator at Lincoln School in Newark who took part in our Healing Centered in the Arts work. Ms. Battles brings more than fifteen years of experience working with students across several grade levels, including first grade and upper elementary, as well as middle school. She began her teaching journey as a substitute teacher while finishing college and raising three children, and her work has always been grounded in meeting students where they are and supporting their individual growth.In addition to her classroom teaching, she has served as a Lead Teacher and School Leadership Committee Chair, supporting both staff development and school improvement. Ms. Battles holds degrees in Early Childhood Education and Recreation Administration and is currently completing a Master’s degree in Educational Administration and Leadership, while also pursuing training through Rutgers University to become a Registered Behavioral Technician.

Today I’m very excited to be joined by Principal Hillary Dow, a 26 year educator in The Newark Board of Education. Ms. Dow is the proud principal of Lincoln School where she was instrumental in leading the school in exiting the New Jersey Department of Education designation as a “school in need of improvement” to one where student academic growth, achievement and attendance is steadily on the rise.

Lincoln School was the recipient of the Arts Ed Newark Trauma Informed Care and Healing Centered Practices grant which afforded the school the access to research-based practices proven to deliver high-quality rigorous arts learning in safe student-centered spaces thus creating trauma-informed learning environments.

Today I’m very excited to be joined by Devonne DeNose, Director of Visual and Performing Arts at Newark Board of Education. She works closely with school leaders, educators, and community partners to expand access to high quality arts learning for students.

Devonne brings deep experience in supporting arts instruction across schools and in thinking about how creative practice can support both learning and well-being. Through this work, she helps ensure that the arts are not treated as an extra, but as an essential part of a student’s education and development.