HARTFORD, Conn. (WTNH) — A new leader is at the helm of the Hartford Public Schools.
Dr. Andraé Townsel addressed the Hartford community for the first time as superintendent during a school board meeting Tuesday.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’ve hit the ground running,” he said at the board meeting.
It’s been an eventful start so far for Dr. Townsel, who has spent the last three weeks exploring Hartford and learning about the community.
“I’m learning as much as I possibly can, because the reality is young people do not get their time back,” Dr. Townsel said. “So, I have to learn as quickly as possible”
Dr. Townsel said he will soon release a 100-day plan as he gets ready to take over a school district that has recently dealt with budget issues and low staffing.
“You know what? We do have some vacancies, but we’re working every single day to fill that,” Dr. Townsel said. “We are going to be fine once school starts, we have our people locked and loaded.”
Dr. Townsel said he plans to visit all 39 of Hartford’s public schools during the first few weeks of the school year. Some community members say there will be a lot for him to investigate.
“We need a superintendent that is going to fight for our kids, not just give in to the powers that are out there,” Carol Gale, president of the Hartford Federation of Teachers said.
Gale spoke about areas in need of attention to the school board during the Tuesday meeting, including special education, opportunity gaps and the district’s relationship with labor unions. She said the root of many of the school district’s problems is lack of staff retention.
“It has to do with raising the culture and climate in this district,” Gale said. “It comes from treating people professionally, respecting people, valuing staff.”
One displaced teacher is Mike Soucy, who said that a lack of money has forced him to teach at different schools within the district. He believes Dr. Townsel might be the perfect man for the job, but he must see action in his plan.
“I just want to know that he is committed to the city,” Soucy said. “If he’s committed to the city, then I’ll be 100%. I’ll be extremely hopeful and that little doubt that’s in me can go away.”
A native of Detroit, Michigan, Dr. Townsel was previously the school superintendent in Calvert County, Maryland, where he helped to improve the school district’s ranking for fourth-best in the state. He was approved unanimously by the Hartford Board of Education after a nationwide search that began in the spring.
Dr. Townsel’s first school year as superintendent will officially kick off on Tuesday, Aug. 26, when all Hartford students are back in session.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
