Catherine Carrera

Catherine Carrera

Bureau Chief, Chalkbeat Newark

Catherine Carrera is Chalkbeat Newark’s first Bureau Chief. Catherine previously covered K-12 education on Long Island for Newsday. Before that, she was a reporter at The Record/NorthJersey.com, covering New Jersey’s higher education landscape. She also served as a statehouse reporter and local news reporter during her time at The Record. Catherine, a New Jersey native, is a graduate of Rutgers University. She earned a certificate teaching English to speakers of other languages and had a stint as a TESOL teacher in India.

In his seventh State of the State address, Gov. Phil Murphy called for a ban on cellphones in classrooms, citing the negative mental health and learning effects that stem from excessive smartphone and social media use.

Nia Freeman, third grade teacher at Liberty Elementary School, started a DEI-focused newscast for her students.

Students statewide and locally showed gradual increases in math and reading scores in the 2024 spring exams.

The Newark Board of Education agreed to pay back the state more than $30,000 in state aid.

Elementary charter schools dealt with hard transitions back to school while middle schoolers got to know their tutors as charter networks kicked off the new school year.

Gov. Phil Murphy held the bill signing in Newark, where third grade literacy rates plummeted after the COVID pandemic.

Members overwhelmingly voted in favor to ratify the contract that comes with 4.5% average annual raises.

The teachers union’s 7,000 members are scheduled to take a ratification vote on June 6.

In total, the winning candidates raised $63,500 and spent $36,600 in the election.