Hillhouse Counselor Promoted To Edgewood Assistant Principal

After spending the last five years serving at Hillhouse High School as a guidance counselor, Chanel Rice will be moving up into the role of assistant principal of Edgewood Magnet School, thanks to the latest round of Board of Education-OK’d promotions.

Rice’s promotion was approved in a 7 – 0 vote by the Board of Education during its latest regular biweekly hybrid meeting on Monday. 

Board members Yesenia Rivera, Justin Elicker, and John Carlos Serana Musser joined the meeting in person at Barack Obama School on Farnham Avenue while members Edward Joyner, Darnell Goldson, Matt Wilcox, Abie Benitiez, and OrLando Yarborough III all Zoomed into the meeting remotely.

The Board voted unanimously to approve Monday’s personnel report put forth by Superintendent Madeline Negrón which included the promotion of Rice and the hiring of nine teachers, one one-year-post-retirement appointment, four second-year-post-retirement appointments, 14 teacher appointments pending certification, 11 paraprofessional hires, and five non-instructional staff appointments.

Rice’s official start date as Edgewood assistant principal is Sep. 18 and her starting salary is $131,460.

“We are very confident that she is going to be an added asset onto the staff over at Edgewood magnet school,” Negrón said at Monday’s meeting. ​“This summer and summers past she’s also taken leadership over our summer credit recovery program.”

Following the approval of the new hires and promotions, Rice gave thanks in-person at the meeting. She recalled first coming to work in New Haven at the Leadership, Education and Athletics in Partnership, Inc. (LEAP) program while still a student at the University of Connecticut (UConn). ​“I fell in love with the students here,” she said. 

“It has truly been a pleasure to grow both professionally and personally here in the same school district that I started in,” she said, holding back tears Monday. 

Rice thanked Negrón, her parents — who tuned in Monday from Philadelphia, her friends, and her Hillhouse team who encouraged her along her path. She also thanked her mentor, Peggy Moore, the current interim principal at Hillhouse, ​“who has always pushed me and never allowed me to give up on myself or give in to my own ways.” 

In thanks to her Hillhouse team Rice said the city’s second largest high school taught her the true meaning of the ​“House family.” 

“Hillhouse is a true gem of New Haven and it’s given me the best lesson and memories that I could have asked for. I am eternally grateful and to my students I want to say never stop chasing your dreams and fighting for the things that you deserve. If I can do it you can do it too and I cannot wait to see how you change the world,” she concluded. 

Board members Abie Benitez and Edward Joyner congratulated Rice on the promotion before the Board moved on in the agenda. 

“I’ve seen her grow,” Benitez said. ​“I know that’s not just the end but the beginning of her contributions in leadership in New Haven, which she has been doing for many years now.” 

Joyner added that he’s met several students who expressed their gratitude for crossing paths with Rice at Hillhouse. ​“I’m sure that we’ll do everything we can to promote your development as you move to your new position,” he said. 

The Independent reached Rice Thursday to ask what professional experiences in recent years have prepared her to make the jump from counselor to assistant principal. 

Rice responded, ​“I strongly believe my counseling background gives me a stronger perspective into the social-emotional needs of the students especially after Covid. It gives me a stronger perspective on ways to help my students reach their academic goals by strengthening their overall mental health and coping skills. Working summer school as a building leader for the past three years at the credit recovery was the best experience to prepare me for truly acclimating to being in this role as well as being the Lead School Counselor at Hillhouse. This has provided me with so many necessary experiences with students, parents, and staff that have continued to drive my leadership style. I am so thankful for these experiences because in collaboration with my counseling expertise, I have a strong approach.”