Carlene Anderson was born in Hanover, Jamaica. In 1979, her family moved to Paterson,
New Jersey and she entered the 4th grade at PS # 12, the elementary school where she now teaches.
After receiving a BA in Psychology (’96) and subsequent MSW (’99) degree from The University of South Carolina,
she arrived in education by an alternate route (’02) through William Paterson University.
In April 2002, Carlene began her teaching career. She is currently a 3rd
grade language arts and social studies teacher. 
The Points of View student griots are a part of Mrs. Anderson’s 3rd Grade class at PS # 12 in Paterson, NJ.
This is a Title One School with most students receiving free or reduced priced lunches. Students are of
diverse heritage with most families arriving from Central and South America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Africa.
Life in an urban school district is particularly challenging. Many of the digital stories
depicted are a
result of classroom discussions, journal entries, and candid conversations with their teacher during morning meetings. Points of View is made possible through funds provided by the Garden State Partnership for Teacher Quality and the Perloff Family Foundation. Special thanks to Dr. Betsy Golden and partnership with William Paterson University tutors as well as Mr. David Perloff and Mrs. Sandy Perloff.