Maya McFadden File Photo
Madeline Negrón at first official Board of Education meeting Monday.
New schools Supt. Madeline Negrón promised not to shake things up in the public school district until she has first had time to hear from school staff, students, families, and the community.
Negrón shared that message as part of her 90-day “entry plan” during a presentation to the Board of Education Monday evening at her first board meeting in the new role. Negrón, a former New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) principal and director of education who most recently served as Hartford’s acting deputy superintendent, replaced her now-retired predecessor, Iline Tracey, at the start of this month.
Monday’s regular bimonthly full Board of Education meeting was hosted in person at the Barack Obama School on Farnham Avenue and online via Zoom.
Negrón’s presentation began with the goal of “listening, learning, and understanding to successfully lead NHPS towards the next chapter of excellence.”
The plan included four initial goals.
The first is to establish and promote a highly effective district governance team. The second is to build trusting, productive, and collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Her third goal is to gain an understanding of the current strategies, strengths, and areas of opportunity in the district’s approach to teaching and learning. And the fourth goal is to establish operational effectiveness.
By listening first, Negrón said, she aims to learn about the current state of the district including its strengths and challenges which will “help me lead with full understanding and not assumptions.”
Click here to read her 90-day entry plan in full.
Negrón’s plan includes specific ways for her to gather information about the district, including through one-on-one meetings with all Board of Education members and with the district’s unions and central office administrators. She also plans to host “Community Coffees” at each school for staff and parents, and roundtable conversations with parents and caregivers to learn about their hopes and dreams for their students and the district.
She added that she plans to join the Board of Education in their first retreat within her first 90 days.
Her plan also includes continuing her visits to schools with the goal of visiting all 41 schools and programs throughout the district to talk with principals, teachers, support staff, and students to understand the unique context of each school.
“I don’t plan to just go and walk the halls and be in offices. I want to be in classrooms,” she said.
The plan also includes meeting with business and community leaders, elected officials, religious groups, higher education institutions and local social service organizations to develop partnerships.
During her visits and conversations, Negrón said, she intends to review and analyze student and staff performance data and recent culture and climate data.
School visits will also be an opportunity for her to observe and assess the quality of teaching and learning and professional development across the district, she said.
Board of Ed members in person at Monday's meeting.
At the conclusion of her plan presentation on Monday, Negrón said she will review the district’s usage of federal ESSER funds to begin allocating priority areas for the remaining dollars.
As the 2023 – 2024 school year approaches Negrón added that she will put together an Opening of School cross-functional team that will meet regularly to monitor district readiness for the first day of school.
At the end of her first 90 days, Negrón said she expects to be prepared to use her entry plan data analysis work to develop a 2024 – 2027 Strategic Operating Plan for the school district.
Board members Justin Elicker, Edward Joyner, and Darnell Goldson thanked Negrón for the concise presentation and for a plan that focuses on listening and learning about the district first.
Wilbur Cross rising junior John Carlos Serana Musser gets sworn onto Board of Ed by Elicker Monday.
Negrón was not the only new face at Monday’s meeting.
The Board’s new student representative John Carlos Serana Musser was sworn onto the Board by Mayor Justin Elicker on Monday evening, as well.
Time to focus on the important tasks at hand. The children of New Haven deserve a competent and capable Superintendent who can bring about meaningful change. Accountability should be upheld for everyone - students, staff, administration, and parents - and failure should not be tolerated. Despite skepticism, prove the doubters wrong by succeeding and making a positive, critical impact. God knows the children of New Haven desperately need some real success.