WOSD welcomes Felix Plata as world languages supervisor

WEST ORANGE, NJ — Felix Plata comes to the West Orange School District as the new world languages supervisor with an 18-year career in the Passaic school system, working in ESL, world language and literacy disciplines.

For the past three years, Plata worked as the world languages supervisor for the Passaic School District. He is currently serving as a two-year member of the New Jersey Department of Education Bilingual Advisory Committee.

Plata was born in Puerto Rico and moved to the Times Square section of Manhattan as a child and attended private school in the Bronx. He received his undergraduate degree in psychology from Binghamton University and his master’s degree in ESL and urban education from New Jersey City University, in addition to his supervisor certification.

Since his arrival in February, Plata has been visiting classrooms and meeting with world language teachers. West Orange offers Spanish, French, Italian and Mandarin beginning with limited language instruction in Spanish K-5 and the expansion of language instruction with Mandarin and Spanish in sixth grade. Seventh- and eighth-grade students can select a world language as a regular course and high school students have the opportunity to select regular, honors and AP offerings.

Plata plans to seek programs that will provide high school students with dual-enrollment and college credits in language programs. He is enthusiastic about the high school’s “Seal of Biliteracy” program with the NJDOE, noting that several students are already on track to receive the 2018 certification.

“My real passion is curriculum and professional development,” Plata said in a press release. “I want to work with teachers and align curriculum to provide opportunities for students to develop advanced proficiency and the right level of learning.”

Plata is married with three children and lives in Bloomfield. In addition to his passion for literacy, he gives back to the community. This summer, Plata plans to travel with fellow educators to Puerto Rico with an organization aptly named “Piedra,” or “rock,” to help strengthen the school infrastructure.

“We want to help the school system in Puerto Rico get back on track,” he said.

  West Orange School District