Jersey City BOE Reorganizes, Lyons New President, Interim Superintendent Selection Tabled

Photo Credits:  Jersey City BOE Facebook Page  / Zoom                                                                                                                                                                                     The Jersey City Board of Education held its annual reorganization meeting in person and via Zoom on Tuesday night, January 4, as three new trustees were sworn-in and a new Board President was chosen after Harvard-educated, Mussab Ali, age 24, the youngest ever Muslim elected official in the United States, chose not to seek re-election.  Ali also battled cancer in 2021.

Board Trustee Gerald M. Lyons was elected the new President, succeeding Ali.

With Superintendent of Schools Franklin Walker retiring last Friday, the Board will begin a search for a permanent Superintendent, with several residents commenting they want to see a nationwide search for Walker’s replacement.  After a motion was made to select Deputy Superintendent Dr. Norma Fernandez as Interim Superintendent,

                                                                          to serve through June 30, 2023 when Walker’s term would have ended, another motion to table the pending selection was held.  In the end, the Board decided to continue the discussion as to whether Dr. Fernandez should be appointed Interim Superintendent.                                                                                                                                        With Board Trustees Marilyn Roman and Joan Terrell Paige not running for re-election, the Board swore in new Trustees Paula J. Jones,

Natalia Ioffe,

and Younass Mohamed Barkouch, a McNair High School graduate.

The Board went into closed session at 8 o’clock to discuss confidential matters.