Biography
Epps is the Jersey City Superintendent of Schools. Epps defeated the incumbent Chiappone in the Democratic primary with the support of the Hudson County Democratic Organization.
Epps served in the Assembly on the Environment and Solid Waste Committee and the Health and Senior Services Committee.
In 2000, the State Board of Education approved Epps as the new State District Superintendent for the Jersey City Public Schools. Epps, who had served as the district’s Associate Superintendent for Community and Support Services since 1998, was recommended to the board by Commissioner David Hespe. Epps has dedicated his entire education career to the Jersey City School District. Since joining the district as a teacher of grades six and seven at the Whitney M. Young School in 1967, Epps has worked his way up through the ranks of the district as a teacher, supervisor, principal of adult evening programs, and director of funded programs.
Many of Jersey City's record nine Best Practices awards received from the New Jersey Department of Education in 1998-2000 were for programs overseen or founded by Dr. Epps. He took a leadership role in the district's efforts to reduce the drop-out rate, which had fallen from a high of 14.6% to three straight years at 10% or lower, starting in the late 1990s.
Epps has served as Chairman of the Hudson County Community College Board of Trustees, where he helped establish the Opportunity Knocks scholarship program allowing graduating seniors in Jersey City to attend Hudson County Community College tuition-free.
Epps has long been active in the community and serves on several advisory boards, including the National Conference on Community and Justice, the Hudson Cradle advisory board, the Hudson County Schools of Technology advisory board, and the Jersey City welfare board. In 1999, he was recognized by both the NAACP (Outstanding Educator award) and the National Urban League (A Man for All Men award) for his contributions to Jersey City and its public school system.
Epps received a B.A. in Education at Bishop College in Dallas, Texas, followed by a Masters degree in Education from Seton Hall University and a doctorate in education from Rutgers University.
Read more about this topic: Charles T. Epps, Jr.
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