School Partners

First Avenue School Campus Director Simone M. Portera comes from Washington, D.C. where she taught 9th-11th grade English for special needs and “repeater” students. She is a Teach for America alumnus, who continues to support new teachers. Simone graduated from Fairleigh Dickinson University with a M.A. in Teaching for Secondary Education and a B.A. in English Literature. She also enjoyed completing student teaching in England and Morristown H.S. in New Jersey. Simone hopes to share her passion for reading and writing with Citizen Schools apprentices in the coming years. In the future, Simone plans to use her experience with Citizen Schools to become a school administrator.

Jayson Wilkinson joined Citizen Schools New Jersey as Campus Director at Ivy Hill Elementary School in July 2010. Jayson was born and raised in Silver Spring, MD and holds a B.A. in History and African-American Studies from Ohio State University. It was in Columbus where he discovered his love for Urban Education and Youth Development. Before coming to Newark, he served as Site Manager at E.L. Haynes Public Charter School in Washington DC, overseeing their Year Round Programs department. In the years prior to joining E.L. Haynes, Jayson worked as a Reading Specialist with Knowledge Learning Corporation, Site Director with Campfire USA for their Columbus location, and as the Internship Coordinator at The Graham School. He has four years of experience working in the Columbus City School District, developing and overseeing Out-of-School Time Programming, internships, and youth services. In his spare time, Jayson enjoys Ohio State Football, hiking, and traveling.