Contributed Photo
Bishop Woods Principal Dina Natalino.
Bishop Woods Principal Dina Natalino will leave the K‑8 school in August for a position downtown focused on helping get students into college.
The New Haven Board of Education approved Natalino’s promotion to supervisor of college and career pathways on Monday evening, along with the promotion of three assistant principals and a pay bump for a hardworking administrator.
“I said from the beginning that I would never leave my principalship unless the college and career pathways position opened,” Natalino said. “I don’t want to cry, because I love my Bishop Woods family. I will still be working with you. I will be your cheerleader.”
Allison Park File Photo
Dina Natalino wins an administrator award in 2018.
Superintendent Iline Tracey lauded Natalino for securing awards for Bishop Woods and King-Robinson while in leadership roles at each school. While an assistant principal at Wilbur Cross, Natalino herself won an award for creating a College and Career Center and an event that helped students find free formal wear for prom. She has been the Bishop Woods principal for three years.
Natalino’s promotion also lightens the burden on Typhanie Jackson, who has been managing both the Special Education department and college counseling for much of the past year.
Jackson got her own recognition at Monday’s meeting, with a roughly $2,500 boost in salary and the new title of “executive director of pupil services.” This brings her salary up to $170,971.
Tracey pointed to Jackson’s 21 years with New Haven Public Schools.
“She is a great thinker and loyal to a T. She accepts responsibilities without any compensation,” Tracey said.
In the same vote, the board approved James Colón’s promotion to assistant principal of Clemente Leadership Academy, Lisa Pietrosimone’s promotion to assistant principal of Celentano Magnet School and Regina Carini’s promotion to assistant principal of the newly renamed Family Academy of Multilingual Exploration.
The most controversial personnel topic in recent weeks came up briefly at Monday’s meeting. Board member Tamiko Jackson-McArthur asked for an update on Brennan-Rogers Magnet School. Two weeks ago, the board demoted and reassigned the Brennan-Rogers principal for using the “n‑word” in a conversation with two teachers. Social and political leaders have held protests and press conferences on the topics, asking for more transparency into what happened. Some have also asked that the former principal, Laura Roblee, be fired.
Jackson-McArthur said that she wants to hear what the administration is doing to help Brennan-Rogers students and staff heal from their principal using a racial slur. She also asked that the board vote to investigate how the administration handled the situation at its next meeting.