File photo
John Nguyen, newly tapped to be NHPS's supervisor of research, assessment and evaluation.
Two assistant principals rose the ranks to new leadership roles in the New Haven Public Schools (NHPS) district, even as school board members raised questions about which vacancies need to be filled now, and which should be left open until the next superintendent is hired.
That debate and those votes took place during the Board of Education’s latest online-only regular meeting on Monday.
During the meeting, NHPS Supt. Iline Tracey recommended two administrative promotions and several teacher and paraprofessional hires as part of her latest personnel report.
One of those promotions, which the school board ultimately approved, was for current Co-Op High School Assistant Principal John Nguyen to step into the central office role of supervisor of research, assessment and evaluation. The other promotion was for Hill Central Assistant Principal Aurea Jaca to become the new principal at Truman School.
Before the final vote of approval for the promotions was taken, Board of Education Secretary Edward Joyner told his school board colleagues that he had concerns with Nguyen’s promotion. He described the promotion as “a real problem.” He did not specify during the meeting what that problem was, nor did he respond to follow up requests for comment by the Independent as to what exactly he was referring to.
Joyner also requested on Monday that the board hold off on filling the role until a new superintendent is selected, since Tracey is set to retire at the end of this year and the board is expected to pick her replacement later this month. Not all of his colleagues agreed with Joyner’s take.
Joyner.
“There’s some things that I would not like to discuss in the open about the particular position or the person and I won’t but I believe that we’re close enough to the end of the year so that the new superintendent can choose his or her own person in that position,” Joyner said on Monday. “That’s a very, very important position because that position is the face of the district in terms of communicating accurate data, analyzing information, and evaluating our programs.”
Nguyen was previously a social studies teacher and assistant principal at Hillhouse and won the Connecticut Milken Educator Award in 2007. In his new role Nguyen’s starting salary is $165,508. His promotion will take effect July 1.
Goldson asked Tracey to clarify what the process of selecting a candidate involved and what the responsibilities of the role are.
Tracey said that the hiring protocol includes a district hiring team reviewing résumés of applicants and conducting interviews with those qualified. After interviews, two finalist are recommended to Tracey and she meets with them both to determine a sole finalist to offer the position to.
The supervisor of research, assessment and evaluation position was previously filled by Michele Sherban, who is the director of research, assessment and evaluation and took on both roles. Sherban is retiring at the end of this year after 35 years at NHPS.
Nguyen’s role would include monitoring and managing the district’s evaluation system, called TalentEd, which is used for the district’s 2000 staffers, coordinating state testing with schools, and reporting to the state.
“Leaving this crucial position until the new superintendent comes, I’m still on post until June 30, this new superintendent is coming July 1, starting July 1st there’s a lot of reporting that has to be done with the state,” Tracey said. “Dr. Sherban is out totally June 30.”
“I agree that any cabinet position should be left for the new superintendent, this is not a cabinet position,” Tracey said. “I don’t see the sense in making an interim at this juncture, it’s similar to any supervisor or principal position.”
During a recent February meeting Mayor Justin Elicker also advocated to allow the next superintendent to fill key district roles in central office by suggesting the board renew three executive team contracts to one year rather than two years each. The board also did not support this suggestion.
Board member Abie Benitez agreed with Joyner’s suggestion to allow the new superintendent to fill the role and pitched the idea to fill the role with an interim staffer.
“I’m just concerned that that’s a very important position for reporting and all that, so I understand we need it, but also we want to make sure that that is something that the leadership that comes next can make that decision,” Benitez said.
“We have consistently said on this board that we will support the superintendent’s suggestions, recommendations related to managing the organization,” Board of Education member Darnell Goldson said. “We have consistently said we’re not managers, we set policy, superintendent follows that policy and manages the organization. I’m going to stick with that suggested route that we have been using all this time.”
Board of Education President Yesenia Rivera and Vice President Matt Wilcox said they too would support the recommendation to continue with the board’s practice of supporting the superintendent’s recommendations around promotions.
“I feel that anything below cabinet level positions I think we actually need those positions to be filled before the new superintendent comes on,” Rivera said.
Wilcox suggested rather than discussing concerns during meetings, board members with issues speak with Tracey about them in advance.
Joyner said he did speak with Tracey and some other board members about his concerns before the Monday meeting.
“It has to do with ethics,” Joyner said about his concern with Nguyen. “I thought I had the kind of relationship with her where I could have a conversation. I thought that she trusted my professional judgement. And she is as aware of the ethical issues as I am. But I am a team player. and if this board and its infinite wisdom believes that this is the right thing to do without looking into that, what I will do is recuse myself from the vote.” He added that he would recuse himself from Monday’s vote to “protect my professional reputation.”
Benitez, who voted in favor of the appointment, raised a final set of concerns that over the past year the board has “been complaining about how we have not gotten the right information.”
Goldson clarified that Joyner did not relay his concerns to him before the meeting. “If it was a real issue then I think Dr. Joyner would have spoke to all of us,” he said.
During the final vote, Wilcox, Goldson, Benitez, Elicker, and Rivera voted yes to approve while Joyner and fellow board member Orlando Yarborough recused themselves from the vote.
New Truman Principal Tapped
Truman's next principal, Aurea Jaca.
In addition to promoting Nguyen Monday, the school board also voted to elevate current Hill Central Assistant Principal Aurea Jaca to the role of principal at Truman School. Jaca also previously was assistant principal at John Martinez School.
“I see Jaca will fit in very well at Truman School,” Tracey said. “Very full of energy, very dedicated to her work, and her resume also speaks for itself.”
Jaca’s starting salary in the new role is $162,351. She’ll move into the new role July 1.
Jaca briefly thanked the board for the promotion at the Monday meeting and said she shared that she looks forward to making Truman a place where students and teachers want to learn and teach.
“I won’t let you down,” she added.