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HAS RECOGNIZED AND CELEBRATED GREAT AMERICAN SCHOOL FOR THEIR OVERALL ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND SUCCESS IN CLOSING ACHIEVEMENT GAPS AND DEMONSTRATING THAT ALL STUDENTS CAN ACHIEVE TO HIGH LEVELS.TO QUALIFY, SCHOOLS MUST DEMONSTRATE SIGNIFICANT ACADEMIC PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT, EXHIBIT EXCELLENT EXCELLENCE IN TEACHING AND LEADERSHIP, AND STR, AND SHOW A STRONG COMMITMENT TO IMPROVING EDUCATION OUTCOMES FOR ALL STUDENTS.
THIS MUCH DESERVED AWARD AWARD AFFIRMS THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, FAMILIES, AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITIES OF TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL IN CREATING SAFE AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENTS WHERE STUDENTS MASTER CHALLENGING AND ENGAGING CONTENT TECHNOLOGY.
HIGH SCHOOL IS COMMITTED TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE, INNOVATING TEACHING PRACTICES, AND EXCEPTIONAL STUDENTS' PERFORMANCE.
AND I AM CLOSE TO ALL OF THAT BECAUSE I AM A RETIRED TEACHER HAVING TAUGHT AT WEST ORANGE HIGH SCHOOL FOR 30 YEARS.
THE AWARD IS ALSO A TESTAMENT TO THE HARD WORK AND VISION OF PRINCIPAL REYES, A NATIVE NEWARK, WHO KNOWS FIRSTHAND THE IMPORTANCE OF QUALITY HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION PLAYS IN THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC GROWTH OF YOUNG PEOPLE.
THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CONGRATULATES, THE ADMINISTRATION, FACULTY, STAFF, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES OF TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL FOR THIS ESTEEMED AWARD AND FOR FOSTERING A NURTURING AND INTELLECTUALLY STIMULATING ENVIRONMENT THAT PRODUCES EXEMPLARY RESULTS.
WE ARE SO PROUD TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS COMMENDATION.
SO NOW WE WILL HAVE PRINCIPAL REYES AGGRESSIVE.
ON BEHALF OF THE TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL FAMILY, I THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS WONDERFUL, WONDERFUL HONOR.
UM, I SPEAK FOR EVERY ONE OF THE CHILDREN THAT ATTEND TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL.
WHEN I SAY THAT IT IS TRULY A REMARKABLE PLACE FOR YOUNG CHILDREN, UM, I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT OUR STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THIS WONDERFUL HONOR.
IT'S NOT AN HONOR THAT WE RECEIVED, UH, JUST IN ONE YEAR.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, OVER THE COURSE OF MANY, MANY YEARS WHERE WE'VE BUILT OUR SCHOOL INTO ONE OF THE TOP SCHOOLS, NOT ONLY OBVIOUSLY IN THIS GREAT CITY, IN THIS GREAT COUNTY, BUT IN THE ENTIRE, UH, COUNTRY
SO I DO WANT TO THANK EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING OUR SCHOOL.
UM, WE HOPE THAT YOU CAN VISIT US AT SOME POINT.
IF WE CAN HAVE SOME OF YOU COME AND TALK TO OUR STUDENTS, THAT WOULD BE WONDERFUL AS WELL, SO THAT YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE, UM, BRILLIANCE AND, UH, GREAT WORK AT ART SCHOOL.
SO I THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR THIS HONOR, AND I APPRECIATE ALL OF IT.
YOU SHOULD ALL VISIT THE SCHOOL BECAUSE THE ENTIRE SCHOOL HAS BEEN TOTALLY RENOVATED AND I WAS THERE WHEN THE GOVERNOR CAME AND THE PRESENTATION WAS MADE OF THE TOTALLY NEW RENOVATED BUILDING.
COMMISSIONER SIEGEL, CAN WE MAKE A QUICK COMMENT? COMMISSIONER, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU, PRINCIPAL REYES, ON YOUR AWARD.
I'VE SEEN YOUR WORK UP CLOSE FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, TO THE ENTIRE TEAM, TO THE STUDENTS.
UM, YOU GUYS DO THE WORK AND WE KNOW YOU DON'T DO IT FOR RECOGNITION.
YOU DO IT BECAUSE THE WORK HAS TO BE DONE.
SO, AS A FELLOW NEWARK, AS A FELLOW, UH, FORMER EDUCATOR, BUT ALWAYS AN
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EDUCATOR, CONGRATULATIONS.AND MAY THE THE GREATNESS CONTINUE FOR YOU, YOUR YOUNG PEOPLE AND YOUR STAFF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR OUR WONDERFUL PRINCIPLE.
I NOW HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF HONORING AN UNPARALLELED LEADER IN NEW JERSEY COMMUNITY ADVOCACY, ACTIVISM AND INVESTING INVESTMENT.
SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN WELCOMING THE RECENTLY RETIRED PHYLLIS SKAY OF NEW JERSEY CITIZEN ACTION UP TO THE PODIUM.
THANK, AT THE END OF 2023, PHYLLIS RETIRED AFTER 35 YEARS AS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CITIZEN ACTION.
ALTHOUGH IF YOU KNOW HER AT ALL, YOU KNOW, RETIREMENT ISN'T GOING TO SLOW HER DOWN.
SO BEFORE I SHARE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT PHYLLIS AND CITIZEN ACTION, I'D LIKE TO TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW I KNOW PHYLLIS.
WE BECAME ACTIVE IN POLITICS IN THE SEVENTIES.
IN THE SEVENTIES, AND WHEN PETER SHAPIRO BECAME THE FIRST COUNTY EXECUTIVE IN THE HISTORY OF ESSEX COUNTY, PHYLLIS WAS HIRED AS PART OF THE ESSEX COUNTY TENANTS RESOURCE CENTER.
AND THAT'S HOW I FIRST MET HER.
AND I FIRST KNEW HER AND I FIRST KNEW ABOUT ALL THE WONDERFUL WORK SHE COULD DO BECAUSE SHE'S SO DEDICATED AND NEVER LOSE INTEREST IN WHAT SHE NEEDS TO ACCOMPLISH.
OVER THE COURSE OF 41 YEARS AT THE NEW JERSEY CITIZENS ACTION, PHYLLIS SKAY HAS BUILT THE ORGANIZATION INTO ONE OF THE STATE'S MOST SUCCESSFUL SOCIAL CHANGE ORGANIZATION, ONE THAT COMBINES ON THE GROUND COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND POLITICAL ACTION WITH THE DELIVERY OF COMMUNITY SERVICES.
SINCE IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1982, NJCA HAS WORKED TO ADDRESS LONGSTANDING SOCIAL ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND RACIAL INEQUALITIES BY ADVOCATING FOR AND EMPOWERING THE WORKING FAMILIES OF NEW JERSEY.
UNDER PHYLLIS'S LEADERSHIP, CITIZEN ACTION, PROFOUNDLY SHAPED LOCAL AND STATE POLICY AND POLITICS, INCLUDING LOWERING UTILITY COSTS AND EXPANDING SERVICES, EXPOSING AND CLEANING UP TOXICS POLLUTION IN OUR COMMUNITIES, DRIVING THE FORMATION OF A NEW JERSEY PUBLIC BANK PROMOTING AND IMPLEMENTING COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES.
WITH OVER 40 BILLION IN AFFORDABLE FINANCIAL OFFICES OFFERINGS AND MUCH MORE, IT NEVER STOPS.
NJCA ALSO SHAPED NATIONAL POLICY AND POLITICS, INCLUDING FIGHTING TO END APARTHEID IN SOUTH AFRICA, HELPING TO ELECT THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT AND SUPPORTING THE PASSAGE OF AND DEFENDING THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
PHYLLIS ALSO OVERSAW NJ C'S CREATION OF A HOST OF SUPPORT SERVICES FOR WORKING FAMILIES, EMPOWERING THEM TO BUILD ECONOMIC SECURITY IN A VARIETY OF WAYS, INCLUDING PURCHASING THEIR FIRST HOME AS ACCESSING THEIR RIGHTS AS RENTERS, ENROLLING IN HEALTHCARE COVERAGE, REVOLVING STUDENT LOANS AND OTHER DEBT, AND ACCESSING FREE TAX PREPARATION AND AVAILABLE TAX CREDITS.
TODAY, THESE PROGRAMS ARE STRONGER THAN EVER SERVING MORE THAN 18,000 FAMILIES A YEAR ACROSS THE ENTIRE STATE.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW REMARKABLE PHYLLIS IS.
AND JUST AS AN ASIDE, SHE'S HERE WITH HER HUSBAND AND I HAD THEIR TWO CHILDREN AS STUDENTS OF MINE AT WEST ORANGE HIGH SCHOOL.
THE ESSEX COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HEREBY CONGRATULATES YOU FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE TO ADVANCE
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RACIAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC JUSTICE IN NEW JERSEY AND FOR A WELL DESERVED RETIREMENT.BUT NOW PHYLLIS IS DOING SOMETHING ELSE.
AND NOW IT'S PHYLLIS'S TURN TO SPEAK.
I'VE SPOKEN MANY TIMES IN THIS ROOM, BUT USUALLY FROM THAT SIDE OF THE GATE.
UM, UH, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS HONOR TODAY, AND UM, I I, SOME OF YOU ARE NEW AND SOME OF YOU I KNOW FOR A LONG TIME.
MY EXPERIENCE, UH, WITH THE COUNTY, OBVIOUSLY I RAN THE TENANT RESOURCE CENTER FOR A WHILE.
UM, BUT I WAS PART OF THE FIRST WOMEN'S, UM, ADVISORY ADVISORY BOARD THAT THE COUNTY EVER HAD.
YOU HAD A COMMISSION ON WOMEN'S ISSUES AND I THINK, I THINK I WAS ON THE INITIAL BOARD.
I ALSO RECENTLY, AND I THINK BRENDAN WAS HERE AT THAT TIME, COMMISSIONER GIL WAS HERE AT THAT TIME.
UM, YOU PASSED A RESOLUTION AND YOU NOW HAVE A PROCESS, THE AFFORDABLE, IT'S A RESPONSIBLE BANKING LAW, UM, WHERE YOU ONLY PUT YOUR MONEY IN BANKS THAT ARE GOOD BANKS TO PUT THEIR MONEY INTO AND UM, I MEAN, YOU'RE ONE THE ONLY COUNTY THAT REALLY DID IT AND STILL DOES IT AND DOES IT WELL.
SO YOU'RE TO BE REALLY ACKNOWLEDGED FOR THAT.
AND I WOULD TELL YOU THAT, UM, THERE'S AN ANNOUNCEMENT THE GOVERNOR MADE TODAY.
THE STATE BANK IS MOVING FORWARD, THE PUBLIC BANK IN NEW JERSEY, AND I'M HOPING THAT IT WILL PROVIDE, UM, SOME OPTIONS FOR ESSEX COUNTY.
I'VE HAD A LONG RELATIONSHIP WITH THE COUNTY AT CITIZEN ACTION.
UM, WE'VE, WE'VE PROVIDED SERVICES TO THOUSANDS OF TENANTS IN ESSEX COUNTY.
I'M WORKING AND I'LL TELL FOLKS WHERE I'M WORKING VERY BRIEFLY.
UM, WORKING, UM, WITH THE STATE'S LARGEST FEMALE PRODUCER OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING, CHRIS FOLIO, THE ORGANIZATION IS THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT STRATEGIES.
SHE IS A SMALL NONPROFIT THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, HER BIG BUILDING, UH, ENTERPRISE, WHICH SHE HAS ABOUT 5,000 UNITS IN NEW JERSEY.
THE ONLY ONE IN ESSEX IS IN BLOOM, BLOOMFIELD, I BELIEVE.
BUT, UM, I'LL BE WORKING THE DIRECTING THE NONPROFIT AND PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES THAT PAT TALKED ABOUT TO THE 5,000 TENANTS THAT SHE HAS THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
MY TWO BIG ISSUES THAT I'M GONNA BE WORKING WITH THE TENANTS ON ARE FOOD SECURITY AND FINANCIAL LITERACY.
SO I'M NOT MOVING VERY FAR FROM WHERE I WAS.
I'M NOT IN A BOOK CLUB AND I HATE TO EXERCISE AND I JUST WAS NOT GOING TO RETIRE.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE I AM NOW AND I'M LOVING THAT I HAVE A JOB AND THAT I GO TO WORK AND THAT I CAN STILL CONTINUE TO DO THE WORK THAT I LOVE.
SO I THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FORAN, AND I THANK PAT PAT.
DO YOU WANT THIS? THANK YOU, MARILYN.
TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT AND ARE WATCHING ONLINE TODAY TO SUPPORT PHYLLIS AND ALL THE, THE GREAT WORK IN NEW JERSEY, CITIZEN ACTIONS AND THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF TECHNOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATIONS RECIPIENTS AND THEIR GUESTS MAY STAY IN THE CHAMBERS BRIEFLY TO TAKE GROUP PHOTOS.
THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS CONFERENCE MEETING WILL BEGIN AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
THANK YOU AGAIN, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL.
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OKAY, GREAT.