Jennifer Jenkins.
• Hillhouse grad Jennifer Jenkins moves up to run Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School.
• Ross, ESUMS, Cross, Fair Haven get new #2s.
• Pandemic presents challenge.
• Goldson questions hire from outside district.
The Board of Education approved the new administrators’ appointments at its meeting on Monday night.
Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School will be headed by incoming Principal Jennifer Jenkins, who was previously an assistant principal at Ross Woodward School.
Jenkins grew up in the New Haven Public School system, having graduated from Hillhouse High School. Before becoming an assistant principal, she has worked as a middle school teacher and instructional coach.
Monday’s BOE meeting.
Jenkins thanked Superintendent Iline Tracey and the Board of Education and expressed her excitement to work at Betsy Ross.
“I love working with middle school students,” she said. She added that she is excited about Betsy Ross’ focus on creativity. “Bringing the academics and the arts as one… I am a true believer of it,” she said.
Jenkins is “experienced” and “compassionate,” Superintendent Iline Tracey said.
Jenkins will be joined by new Assistant Principal Tiffany Rauch, who served as a coordinator at Hill Regional Career High School this past year.
“She is phenomenal when it comes to data,” Tracey said of Rauch.
“I’m truly honored to be a member of the Betsy Ross Arts Magnet School” Rauch said to the Board of Ed. “I have a little bit of arts in me and I’m really excited to be a family member there.”
As a Betsy Ross parent, Board of Education member Tamiko Jackson-McArthur gave Jenkins and Rauch a warm welcome.
“My twins attend your school and I am available as a parent for anything you need,” she said.
Engineering and Science University Magnet School will have a new assistant principal in Tracey Philpot, who has worked in New Haven’s school system for 17 years.
Tracey praised Philpot’s work as an instructional math coach and coordinator of the summer credit recovery program for high school students.
“Thank you for having the confidence in me and appointing me to this position,” Philpot told the Board of Ed. “I really am excited about that middle school-high school combo [at ESUMS]. I just look forward to working with the community.”
Daniel Wajnowski will serve as a new assistant principal at Wilbur Cross, where he has worked as a coordinator and English teacher.
“To be able to step in now as assistant principal and continue to grow and care for children in the city where my wife and I live with our child — nothing thrills me more,” he said.
“Ms. Edith Johnson” — the principal at Cross — “is grinning from ear to ear because this person had served in her school,” said Tracey.
Finally, Nellie Martinez will be a new assistant principal at Fair Haven school. She comes to the New Haven school system from the state of New York, where she received a doctorate in Education and worked as an English teacher and administrator, an education consultant, and a curricular director.
“She has worked in the field of education for over 20 years serving urban students in New York City and Westchester County,” Tracey said.
“I have the skill, ability, and knowledge to work with our community. I am excited to work immediately and I am ready, I am ready for the challenge,” Martinez said.
The Board of Education unanimously voted to approve the appointments of Jenkins, Rauch, Philpot, and Wajnowski.
Board of Education member Darnell Goldson voted against Martinez’ appointment, while the rest of the board voted in favor of it.
“This is the one person who’s coming into the administration from outside of the school system,” Goldson said. “I think we have a lot of talent in this school system.” He noted that he received calls from two applicants who did not receive the job at Fair Haven School.
“I do not see any real building leadership experience on this person’s resume,” Goldson added.
“If a person is director of curriculum, that’s leadership. If a person was interim assistant principal, that’s leadership,” Tracey responded. “By her resume, she demonstrated that she’s had that experience to take on that position of assistant principal.”
Tracey added that the principal of Fair Haven School, which is known for its dual language immersion program, had specifically requested an assistant principal who speaks Spanish.
Board of Education member Ed Joyner spoke in favor of Martinez’ appointment. He said he did not see a problem with recruiting from outside of New Haven, particularly given that Martinez has a doctorate and experience in a district “that has similarities to ours.”
“Language is the gateway to knowledge,” he said. “If we have someone we can bring on board that has a degree in English and has the lived experience and proficiency in Spanish… this is a gain for us.”
“I think when we rely on people who didn’t get the job to lobby board members, in many ways we’re second guessing the judgment of the principal of the school and the administration,” he added.
“I fulfilled the responsibility as a board member to ask questions,” Goldson said.
“I applaud Mr. Goldson in his commitment to asking questions,” Joyner replied.
The district also hired three new coordinators, who were all unanimously approved. They include Regina Carini, who will work at Conte West Hills Magnet School; Lisa Pietrosimone, who will work at Quinnipiac Magnet School; and Alex Sinclair, who will work at Ross/Woodward Magnet School.
Find a full list of administrator and teacher appointments approved by the Board of Education on Monday here.
Congratulations to the new principal and assistant principals! It's wonderful that a former NHPS student rise through the ranks to principal!