Mr. Gemar Mills teaches in the 400-hour Alternate Route program in Newark through the Rutgers-Graduate School of Education. Mr. Mills is the Chief Academic Officer of College Achieve Public Schools (CAPS) and the Executive Director of CAPS Paterson. Born and raised in Paterson, New Jersey, Mills earned a B.S. degree in math education from Montclair State University, and began teaching math at East Side High School in Newark, New Jersey.

While working full-time, he earned a Master’s of Educational Leadership at American Intercontinental University and later a doctoral degree in administration, policy, and curriculum from Seton Hall University. Later, at Malcolm X Shabazz High School in Newark, Mills served for two years as Math Department Chairperson and one year as Vice-Principal. At the age of 27, Mills was made Principal of this school, one of the most troubled in the Newark Public Schools District. With a history of low-test scores, MXS was threatened with the possibility of closure. The school’s turnaround has been featured in the Sports Illustrated award-winning series “Underdogs,” NBC’s “Positively Black,” an Emmy award-winning documentary “Saving Shabazz” produced by NJ.com, and articles by the Atlantic, Fortune, and Crain business magazine.

New teachers are filled with proficient levels of theory and an inefficient amount of practice, which makes for an enjoyable journey, for all parties, into the world of K-12 education. The joy of assisting them with the many struggles that arise in their classroom is fulfilling. The most enjoyable aspect of teaching happens at the end of the school year. The trial and error is done, the anxiety has subsided, and the teachers' new skills lead to student success and a proud professor.