exposure to work and study pathways. Adults receive support, too.The district treats teacher wellness as essential infrastructure. Back-to-school walk-and-connect events, celebratory breakfasts, and public shout-outs set a tone of appreciation. More importantly, Roselle gives educators voice and choice in professional learning. Twice a year, on “Choice Days,” faculty select from teacher- and administratorled sessions that reflect their interests and needs. “We listened,” says Assistant Superintendent Dr. Lissette Gonzalez-Perez. “When teachers said they wanted meaningful, relevant PD—and a chance to learn from their peers—we retooled the model. Climate and culture have improved because people are seen.” TECHNOLOGY THAT WIDENS OPPORTUNITY—NOT THE DIVIDE Roselle is technology-rich by design, and the build is both top-down and bottom-up. The district has modernized its infrastructure to meet FERPA and COPPA requirements, expanded access points, and standardized device management. Through the Verizon Innovative Learning Schools initiative, every student in grades five through twelve carries a Chromebook with LTE and 30 gigabytes of monthly data, a deliberate move to collapse the digital divide after school hours. “Access can’t stop at dismissal,” Fisher says. “If we want equity, we start with connectivity.” On the classroom side, Roselle is a one-to-one district that treats devices as tools, not ends. Students learn the basics of digital citizenship in the early grades and move quickly into authentic creation—coding, data work, engineering builds, media production— using platforms aligned to state computer science standards. The district recently updated its acceptable use policy to explicitly allow teachers and students to leverage AI in structured ways, pairing innovation with digital ethics and human judgment. “We want students to know when and how to use new tools responsibly,” says Instructional Technology and CTE Supervisor Evenide “Evie” Vilcean.“Agency is a skill.”
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