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The Asbury Park Board of Education, in a unanimous vote, has approved the permanent appointment of Acting Superintendent Sancha Gray. 

The former Assistant Superintendent took on the interim post in February after Gov. Phil Murphy tapped the district’s former Superintendent Lamont Repollet as the state’s Commissioner of Education.

Gray said her five year contract is still being negotiated but she is looking forward to ‘taking the district to the next level.”

Her goals for the district include creating a Performing Arts Academy by 2020, offering the district’s advanced students a proper gifted and talented curriculum, and providing opportunities for ‘our intellectually curious students,’ she said. “I am looking forward to taking the district to the next level.”

Gray, who began as Director of Curriculum, is credited with helping to implement a literacy programs that resulted in 44 percent of students in grades 3 through 12 exceeding a one year’s growth goal in a single semester; 23 percent exceeding a two year growth in a single semester; and the percent of students failing three or more courses falling from 30 percent to 3 percent.

Like Repollet, she began her career in the classroom; teaching math and social studies in the East Orange School District. She made the move to administration in 2008.

The Brooklyn native credits the community’s support and partnerships for helping to foster growth and success for the district’s students.

Among them are the Lakehouse Music Academy and Asbury Park Music Foundation, as well as local leaders like Nina Summerlin who heads the Alliance For A Healthier Asbury Park.

Since taking the post she has nurtured real world programming that included high school students crafting a proclamation that was ceremoniously adopted by the Asbury Park City Council, as well as participation in the March For Our Lives rallies in Washington DC and Asbury Park and a town hall discussion with Congressman Frank Pallone.

“Any time you give students the opportunity for civic engagement and an opportunity to be at the table, it allows them to pick up on some of the non cognitive pieces like speaking and listening during presentations,” she said.

Further examples of extended learning opportunities include ‘The Pen is Mightier Than The Sword’ student documentary taking top honors at the Poconos film festival, and Asbury Park students performing alongside Wyclef Jean during the Asbury Park Music & Film Festival, this past weekend she said.

Along with advancing literary, math and science offerings through advanced degree opportunities the district has implemented an across the board social and emotional learning program in partnership with KYDS founders Mychal Mills and Rodney Solomon. 

“Having these relationships provide more opportunities for our students to have an extension of the classroom,” she said. “The city is now a true extension of our classroom. I am so grateful for the partnerships.”

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