Kristina DeNegre: ""It feels amazing to be home again."
A former New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) principal is returning to the district to fill a long-vacant assistant superintendent post, after the Board of Education approved Madeline Negrón’s first executive appointment since stepping into the top schools role.
Negrón, who started as superintendent on July 1, recommended the hire of former NHPS administrator Kristina DeNegre for the position of Assistant Superintendent for Instructional Leadership/School Improvement. The Board of Education approved DeNegre’s hire in a 7 – 0 vote Monday afternoon at the school board’s latest meeting.
Board members Matt Wilcox, Justin Elicker, and Darnell Goldson joined the Monday meeting in person at the Barack Obama School on Farnham Avenue, while fellow school board members Ed Joyner, Abie Benitez, Orlando Yarborough, and Yesenia Rivera Zoomed into the biweekly meeting.
DeNegre began her teaching career in 1995 and spent 20 years of her career with NHPS.
She will take over the position previously held by Assistant Superintendent Keisha Redd-Hannans, who was shifted from the vacant role after the departure of Ivelise Velazquez in August 2022. Redd-Hannans remains with the district in her current assistant superintendent for curriculum, instruction, and assessment position.
Watch the full meeting above.
DeNegre taught at East Rock School early on in her career and in 2011 she was chosen to participate in an “intensive training program” as a turnaround principal in New Haven, where she served as leader of Wexler Grant and Clinton Avenue Schools.
In 2016, Negrón, said she observed DeNegre while at Clinton Avenue and recognized her skill as an instructional leader and at building community.
“During that time she focused on building teacher capacity while implementing rigorous instruction,” Negrón said. “She has an intrinsic belief that all students can and will be successful with the proper support. I strongly believe that Kristina DeNegre can bring the talent to become another member of our cabinet so that together we can strive towards moving New Haven to the next chapter of excellence.”
DeNegre left NHPS in 2020 to serve as a talent officer and pre-K‑5 academics accountability officer in New Britain.
DeNegre’s salary in her new NHPS position will start at $170,000.
Board secretary Ed Joyner and fellow school board member Darnell Goldson expressed support for the hire of DeNegre describing her as one of many “first round draft picks” by the new superintendent. Goldson added that he would like to see the district also look to internal candidates for future appointments.
After the vote of approval by the board for the full personnel report, DeNegre offered a thank you to Negrón and the board.
“I’m very excited to work alongside the superintendent and the team as we implement the districts plans to bring New Haven Public Schools to the next level,” DeNegre said. “I know the last several years have not been easy. We know our students and families have been through a lot but we must continue to never lose sight that our students deserve the very best from us each and every day.”
“It feels amazing to be home again,” she added.