After ten years of serving Hill Central Music Academy in various instructor and administrative roles, Nicole Brown will next helm the the school as its newly approved principal.
The Board of Education approved the promotion of Brown, eight teachers (some pending certification), five paraprofessionals, and three non-instructional staff at its regular meeting Monday evening.
Brown has taught for a total of 24 years in New Haven Public Schools, with a start at the former Timothy Dwight School in 1998.
While recommending Brown’s promotion, Superintendent Iline Tracey emphasized to the board the importance of providing veteran educators like Brown the opportunities to move up within the district and experience new roles or school communities in order to improve their skills.
Tracey added that Hill Central’s School Planning Management Team (SPMT) recommended two candidates, including Brown, and as a result the district’s executive team recommended the internal candidate.
Brown will move into the role July 1 after the retirement of current Principal Jaime Ramos. She has been serving as assistant principal at Hill Central since 2016. (Click here for a pervious story about the fight to get Brown appointed as assistant principal.)
She also served as an academic leader at Hill Central from 2013 to 2016 and a district literacy coach from 2011 to 2013.
The board unanimously approved the personnel report 5 – 0 at the Zoom-held meeting.
Brown thanked the board for the promotion.
“I’m thrilled to continue this work that I feel I haven’t finished at Hill Central,” she said.
She thanked the many leaders she worked alongside in the past, including Glen Worthy, Lillian Fontan, and Ramos.
She said she looks forward to maintaining the vision of Hill Central and pushing for a “high performing school and joyful school” as principal.
Tracey Wins Hiring Leeway
After the approval of the personnel report, Tracey requested the power to hire non-administrative teaching staff without full board approval during the off weeks that the board does not conduct its biweekly meetings.
She argued the power will allow the district to secure teachers during a “critical time” when other districts employee are poaching New Haven educators waiting on a contract pending board approval.
Board Vice President Matt Wilcox and board member Darnell Goldson supported giving Tracey the power to fill vacant teaching positions, but emphasized the importance of making the release of power time-limited and requiring Tracey at least consult the board executive team the during the off-weeks.
The board then voted 6 – 0 to approve a motion to allow Tracey to make teacher hires between board meetings until Sept. 15, with review from the board’s executive team and biweekly updates of hires .
At the request of board member OrLando Yarborough, Tracey clarified that the hiring process will remain the same during the set time, which includes SPMTs interviewing and recommending candidates followed by the district’s recommendation of candidate hires.