This story original appeared in LocalTalkNews.com

Newark’s University Heights Charter School is one of just 18 charter schools from across the country, and only two in the tri-state area, to be honored by the New Leaders for New Schools’ Effective Practice Incentive Community (EPIC) program for accomplishing breakthrough student achievement gains.

Educators at the school will receive individual financial rewards in exchange for working with New Leaders for New Schools to document and share the practices that led to their successes.

This article originally ran in a special four-page section produced by the Newark Charter School Fund in Local Talk News.

When Jessica Rooney rescinded her law school applications to explore a career in public education, she had no idea she’d be opening one of the first stand-alone charter high schools in Newark.

Rooney, the founder of People’s Preparatory Charter School, comes from a family of educators, but she took a circuitous path before joining in the family tradition.

“I was preparing to enter law school because I wanted to be an agent for social change,” Rooney said. “However, something just didn’t feel right to me. I came to the realization that law is more about intervention after something has occurred and less about preventing the problem.”