Melissa Bailey File Photo
Worthy.
Glen Worthy was approved as the new principal of Hillhouse High School Monday evening — abating some of the conflict around its leadership structure.
Worthy, who heads the city’s adult education center, will be the school’s sole principal, after a unanimous vote by the Board of Education at its regular meeting L.W. Beecher School.
The board also stalled a decision on two central office positions — chief academic officer and director of instruction — with some members saying they wanted to make sure all teacher vacancies are filled first.
Hillhouse had been divided into four smaller “academies” with three principals, leading staff and students to complain about an overarching lack of organization and limited access to important resources.
Board members had been calling for months to reduce the number of Hillhouse principals from three to one, arguing it would help unite the struggling school and save money on administrative salaries. They quickly and unanimously agreed Monday to hire Worthy effective July 1, at a salary of $149,403.
Worthy started as principal of Hill Central School before being hired to head adult education in 2014. He grew up in New Haven and will institute a style of leadership at Hillhouse “that puts the team and community at the center of the work,” Superintendent Garth Harries said.
Three or four assistant principals will join Worthy at Hillhouse, Harries said. Throughout all New Haven schools, four principals need to be transferred, five have requested transfers and seven total administrative vacancies will be open for the upcoming year. Four central office vacancies have been posted, along with one school vacancy.
Harries asked the board to approve Karen Lott as district chief academic officer, to replace Imma Canelli, retiring as deputy superintendent this summer. Her salary is “to be determined based on contract negotiation with the superintendent” and position effective July 1.
She was the former principal of Brennan-Rogers School in West Rock, and then moved to head a charter-sponsored turnaround at a struggling school in Hartford in 2013.
“She’s the kind of personnel and leader I believe can take the foundation … to a next level of integration and coherence,” Harries said.
Harries also asked the board to move Career High School Principal Madeline Negron to fill the position of retiring director of instruction Kim Johnsky, at $152,532 effective July 1.
Principal of Career for the last four years, Negron was the best candidate against both internal and external options, Harries said.
Goldson: Broader discussion needed.
Board members Ed Joyner and Darnell Goldson pushed against making any further leadership hires Monday night, in order first to discuss the overall structure of central office.
“We’re better off moving this until the next meeting because the superintendent hasn’t had meetings with the reorganization committee” about how central office should conform with needed budget cuts in the upcoming year, Joyner said. Faced with $3.6 million in budget cuts for the upcoming fiscal year, leaders should be thinking about how to keep money in the schools, before focusing on hiring in central office, he said.
He asked for a “budget remediation plan,” a central office “reorganization plan” and a teacher-hiring plan.
“The district has to move forward,” Harries said. The CAO and director of instruction positions are crucial, and savings can be found in other parts of central office, he said.
Joyner argued that some students had started and ended the year without teachers — indicative of a lack of proper prioritization. Harries had been asked to table the decision on the two positions and “he went ahead and did it anyway,” he said.
Harries said delaying the vote would slow the planning for the upcoming year and make it more likely that the two candidates would consider other job offers. “I want you both on the bus,” he said to Lott and Negron, who were sitting in the crowd.
Harp: Don’t carp later about delays.
Mayor Toni Harp admonished Goldson and Joyner for the delay.
“I’m embarrassed that we can’t move forward and move the system forward,” she said. “I suppose you can argue that two weeks doesn’t make much difference. But I don’t want to hear from this board later that, ‘Oh, we got a late start,’” she said. “I’m deeply embarrassed at our inability to move this district forward.”
Goldson didn’t budge.
“I’m embarrassed that we don’t have teachers in our classrooms,” he said. “I’m embarrassed [Lott and Negron] are here to hear this today.”
He said he wasn’t even convinced Negron’s director of instruction position — the fourth in central office — was necessary.
The motion to add the appointments to the agenda failed to get two-thirds majority necessary to pass.
Board member Daisy Gonzalez abstained from the vote, saying she agreed that the candidates were qualified but that she hadn’t been adequately informed about the issues surrounding the decision.
Board member Michael Nast voted to put those hires on the agenda, in a desire to “move forward,” especially with Lott’s position.
Joyner voted against it, adding that he appreciated the talent of the candidates. Goldson and Carlos Torre voted against it. Harp and board member Che Dawson both voted to approve.
The board approved Chief Financial Officer Victor De La Paz’s resignation, announced in a press release the week before.
Harries asked the board to approve Karen Lott as district chief academic officer, to replace Imma Canelli, retiring as deputy superintendent this summer. Her salary is "to be determined based on contract negotiation with the superintendent" and position effective July 1.
She was the former principal of Brennan-Rogers School in West Rock, and then moved to head a charter-sponsored turnaround at a struggling school in Hartford in 2013.
"She's the kind of personnel and leader I believe can take the foundation ... to a next level of integration and coherence," Harries said.
Give me a break. Notice Karen Lott has ties to Charter Schools.I keep telling all of you.this will be next.
Invasion Of The Charter Schools
http://www.villagevoice.com/news/invasion-of-the-charter-schools-6437363
Garth Harries Che Dawson and The mayor must Go!!!!!!