Our Principal
Dr. Monica D. Burton, PrincipalDr. Monica D. Burton’s Philosophy
“Hold yourself responsible to a higher standard than anybody else expects of you” is a quote from Henry Ward Beecher that Dr. Monica D. Burton affirms daily. Dr. Burton has been a devoted educator for over 25 years with experience in both public and private school from elementary to post high school. Dr. Burton is also an adjunct professor at Saint Elizabeth University and Montclair State University. She is on the Executive Board for the East Orange YMCA, the Essex County Teachers Federal Credit Union, and the North Jersey Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. She is a fellow with Leadership Newark and a ministry leader at Calvary Baptist Church. She goes about her day demonstrating her passion for what she does best; ensuring that students have the tools they need to be responsible for themselves, their future, and their community as life-long learners, productive citizens, and thought leaders. Her goal is to encourage her students to sense the potentialities they have within no matter what challenges they face. Her philosophy is as follows:
The greatest gift an educator can give students is an opportunity for repeated independent academic success that will motivate them to become self-directed learners and productive citizens. Students must be confident that they can master the skills and strategies that will aid them, as they become contributors to their own learning, their community, the future of this nation, and the world. In choosing to become an educator, we must be dedicated to meeting the educational and social emotional needs of every student we encounter. Our words and actions must be an example of our commitment to students. The goal is to be the best academic, professional, and ethical role model
possible. This includes developing a safe learning environment that is a place that greatly magnifies all students' capacity to explore and learn and all teachers' capacity to teach and inspire.