Retired principal Clarence Allen — “Teddy” to his friends — was born and raised in Newark’s Central Ward. One of four children, he was brought up by a single mother who worked in food services for Newark Public Schools. Clarence was shaped entirely by that system. As a middle school student, Clarence met his high school baseball coach, Jerry Battaglini. They remain close today, as Coach Batt became his godfather and lifelong mentor.
Coach Batt helped Clarence see potential beyond what he recognized in himself, encouraging him both athletically and academically. “To this day, I call him Pops,” Clarence says. They still check in on each other almost daily, and Jerry even spoke at Clarence’s retirement celebration. Clarence proudly considers himself part of Coach Batt’s Italian family.
A standout athlete, Clarence earned all-county and all-state honors in baseball. Still, he played multiple sports “because that’s what we did in the neighborhood.” Clarence was inducted into the Newark Athletic Hall of Fame in 2018.
Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Mahatma Gandhi are some of the leaders who influenced him. “God doesn’t give you more than you can handle,” he says. Though he wasn’t raised with a strong religious foundation, he came to his own conclusions: “I have faith.”
Reflecting on a scene from “Godfather of Harlem” featuring Bumpy Johnson and Malcolm X, he recalls a line that resonated with him: “I’m going to listen to you, but I’m going to make up my own mind.”
As a young man, Clarence dreamed of becoming Reggie Jackson and attending Arizona State University. He hoped to play professionally, but during a game in the Bahamas — while expecting invitations to camp — he broke his foot. The injury derailed those plans.
He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in industrial hygiene and supervision from Saint Augustine’s University in Raleigh, N.C. Later, when his mother fell ill, he returned to New Jersey and earned a master’s degree in urban education and supervision from New Jersey City University. It was his mother who had originally suggested industrial hygiene and safety as a career path.
Clarence didn’t initially plan to become a teacher. He worked for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health in Cincinnati and later for the state of New Jersey. Along the way, he continued coaching, and both his mother and Coach Jerry encouraged him to take the teaching exam. Though reluctant, he did and passed.
He soon began teaching math and science at what is now the Cicely Tyson School of Performing and Fine Arts. “Teaching was great. My students were amazing,” he says. He also coached basketball and baseball and remained in the classroom for nine years.
In September 2011, Clarence became an assistant principal at George Washington Carver Elementary School, a challenging environment by many standards. “It looked scary, but I loved being an assistant principal,” he recalls. “I leaned into my Leo-ness. I was a charismatic leader. I cared about my people. Sometimes to a fault.”
Under the mentorship of principal Cheryl Hawk, he grew quickly. “That’s how I developed,” he says. “I was supervising more than 30 people.”
By 2006, he was named principal of South 17th Street School in Newark, a high-priority school under state supervision. “We became a safe haven for students,” he says. “I took kids nobody else wanted, and even with a behavior disability program, we improved our scores.”
Under his leadership, the school saw significant gains in student outcomes, including improved test scores, successful curriculum innovations, and eventual removal from the state’s low-performing list.
Clarence holds the role of school leader in high regard. “As a principal, you’re everything to everyone,” he says. “Our children are our most precious jewels. We have to treasure them. Students need leaders who are passionate about their growth and who hold themselves and other educators accountable.”
He also emphasizes the importance of hiring and developing strong educators who can truly connect with students.
In retirement, Clarence remains active as a consultant in instructional leadership, staff development, policy implementation and community engagement. He serves as president of the City Association of Supervisors and Administrators of Newark, AFSA Local 20, and sits on AFSA’s General Executive Board. “I was in the right place at the right time,” he says, crediting former AFSA president Dr. Len Pugliese for mentoring him in union leadership. Clarence’s commitment to fairness and equity remains central to his work.
When time allows, he travels — recently visiting the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica. In Kingston, he worked with Guided Collaboration Collective to help build a school library for a local primary school. And he still makes time to follow his beloved New York Yankees.
Above all, Clarence treasures time with his children: Nia, an honors graduate of Tuskegee University and an aerospace engineer, and Miles, a media and communications honors student at Alabama State University who is pursuing a career as a sports videographer. Nia and Miles are, as he puts it, “his pride and joy.”
