1 Principal Hired, Another Transferred

The Board of Education heard about and took action Monday night on leadership of schools as well as the board itself, then received a plea from paraprofessionals for renewed contract negotiation.

The hybrid meeting was hosted at the Barack Obama School and on Zoom. 

First, Yesenia Rivera, Matt Wilcox, and Edward Joyner were re-elected unanimously board president, vice president, and secretary, respectively.

The board moved on to approve the hires of the new Assistant Director of Early Learning Programs Carolyn Havrda, who will start Jan. 9 with a salary of $110,000, and incoming Hillhouse Principal Antoine Billy. (Read more about BIlly’s hiring here.)

Additionally, it was announced that Metropolitan Business Academy Principal Sequella Coleman will transfer to a new role as supervisor of student transfers and transportation. The previous person in the position, LaShell Rountree, resigned after three months on the job. 

The board heard about five administrative retirements to come at the end of the school year on June 30. The retirees include Supervisor of Speech and Hearing Glynis King-Harrell, who has worked in NHPS for 32 years; Director of Multilingual Learner Programs Pedro Mendia-Landa, who is retiring after 35 years; Supervisor of Music Ellen Maust after 44 years; Metropolitan Business Academy Assistant Principal James Moseley after 22 years; and Supervisor of Special Education Emma Proano-Schulman, who has worked in NHPS for 20 years.

Meanwhile, the district’s paraprofessionals spoke up again to urge school leaders not to take the expired union contract to arbitration, echoing pleas shared at a December meeting to return to the negotiating table. 

The paras who spoke up at Monday’s meeting included educators who have taught within NHPS with experience ranging from a year to 38 years.

“Appreciate us the way we appreciate you,” paraprofessional union President Hyclis Williams told the board. 

Davis Academy para Alice Coleman and others said that they don’t just monitor students but they also teach them. Coleman said that despite teaching in the district for 28 years, she has been on the same pay step. 

Finally, Rivera requested that current NHPS parents reach out to her via email at YESENIA.RIVERA@new-haven.k12.ct.us if they are interested in joining the board’s food service task force or Citywide School Building & Stewardship Committee.