WEST ORANGE, NJ - Dr. Keri Orange-Jones, Assistant Principal at Edison Middle School, is passionate about educating teachers, especially those just beginning their careers.
Now heading into her 27th year in education, Dr. Orange-Jones has already had several articles published, including articles historical literacy, giftedness, and DEIA, and is currently part of the West Orange School District’s DEIA team.
In addition to an already-storied career, Dr. Orange-Jones has co-authored a new book: Learners First: Purpose and Practicality in Your Early Years of Teaching with Dr. Denise Furlong.
Dr. Orange-Jones was born and raised in Jersey City, NJ, and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Seton Hall University. While working in corporate at Dow-Jones, she was inspired to become an educator by her friend and mentor the late Detective Calvin Hart, who believed she would be a good teacher.
Orange-Jones began her transition into teaching via the Alternate Route Program, “a non-traditional teacher preparation program designed for those who have not completed a formal teacher preparation program at an accredited college or university, but wish to obtain the necessary training to become a New Jersey certified teacher. (Alternate route teachers earn a Certificate of Eligibility.)
After working in the Jersey City and Newark Public Schools, Dr. Orange-Jones came to West Orange. She obtained her Masters in Education from St. Peter’s College as well as her supervisor and school administration certifications. She completed her doctoral degree at Rutgers University in 2018. Dr. Orange-Jones is currently an adjunct at William Paterson University and Montclair State University, part of the Drew Writing Project, The Educator Collaborative, and a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. In addition, she was named an Exemplary Educator by the NJDOE in December 2020.
Jones and Furlong met a few years ago and realized they shared many of the same values when it came to education and diversity, equity, inclusion, and access.
“I wanted to use my platform for good,” said Orange-Jones, “and I’m passionate about teaching teachers. My husband encouraged me to go for it and co-author the book with Denise, and we did.”
They worked on the book from January 2023 through September 2024. It was picked up by Corwin Books/Sage Publishers, publishers of educational materials.
“Teachers receive different levels of education,” Orange-Jones continued, “so this book is about what we wish somebody had told us when we started teaching.”
“The book is very conversational in tone, so it's not intimidating. It’s what I would share if I were talking to you,” she added.
“Teaching today is project-based. You have to access kids in class so the knowledge ‘clicks.’ It’s not like it was in the past when teachers just taught the information.”
Dr. Orange-Jones excitedly shared that the official release date is April 29, but it is available for presale now. The list of chapters as they appear in the book are below, and Dr. Orange-Jones authored chapters 1-5.
Learners First: Purpose and Practicality in Your Early Years of Teaching
- Chapter 1: Dangers of a Deficit Mindset
- Chapter 2: Understanding and Surviving the Evaluation
- Chapter 3: Grading & Assessments/Project-based Learning
- Chapter 4: The ABCs of School: I&RS, RTI, MTSS, and SEL
- Chapter 5: Implementing Inclusive Practices in the Diverse Classroom
- Chapter 6: Access and Inclusion for Learners with Diverse Needs
- Chapter 7: English Learners and Multilingual Learners
- Chapter 8: Dynamic and Responsive Learning
- Chapter 9: Professional Learning and Growing
- Chapter 10: Thriving in this Profession
