Meet Mercer County ESP of the Year Thea Burke Long before she entered a classroom as an educator, Thea Burke was a journalist. Originally from Los Angeles, she worked as…
Meet Morris County ESP of the Year Sue Ritz By Kathryn Coulibaly For more than 23 years, Sue Ritz has been a steady, joyful force in Rockaway’s schools. Ritz is…
Meet Hudson County ESP of the Year Kimberly Corley By Kathryn Coulibaly For nearly two decades, Kimberly Corley has been a steady, trusted presence in Jersey City Public Schools. She…
Meet Passaic County ESP of the Year Sharrieff Bugg By Kathryn Coulibaly For more than two decades, Sharieff Bugg has been a steady, compassionate force in Paterson, inside the classroom…
Meet Essex County ESP of the Year Lou Ann LoBasso By Kathryn Coulibaly Lou Ann LoBasso knew she was going to succeed in her new position working with a non-verbal…
By Kathryn Coulibaly For Debby Wolanski, a paraprofessional at Hoover Elementary School in Bergenfield and the 2025-26 Bergen County ESP of the Year, her life changed when a member of…
Meet 2025-26 Burlington County ESP of the Year John Meyer By Kathryn Coulibaly John Meyer spent more than 20 years in the Navy before ultimately transitioning to a career as…
Meet Somerset County ESP of the Year Lisa Murphy By Kathryn Coulibaly Lisa Murphy wears many different hats. She’s an instructional assistant in Hillsborough Middle School, a strong union advocate,…
Meet Monmouth County ESP of the Year Dolan Williams By Kathryn Coulibaly For Dolan Williams, a custodian at Bradbury Elementary School in Asbury Park and the 2025-26 Monmouth County ESP…
Meet Sussex County ESP of the Year Donna Caputo By Kathryn Coulibaly Donna Caputo must have an inexhaustible source of energy. It’s the only way to explain the fact…