I’m delighted to report that the Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) has selected Dr. Miguel Cardona as Connecticut’s 2012 National Distinguished Principal.

This is a well-deserved recognition of a remarkable educator. CAS will honor Dr. Cardona locally at the “Celebration of Distinguished Administrators” on October 25, 2012. He will also travel to Washington, D.C., in October to be honored along with other National Distinguished Principals from the other 49 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

My heartiest congratulations go out to Dr. Cardona. I’m so proud and honored that he is an active member of our Alma Exley scholarship family.

And, while I’m at it, I’m also tipping my hat to our distinguished selection committee. They had the foresight in 1998 to choose Miguel as an Alma Exley Scholar when he was at Central Connecticut State University.

Dr. Carol Virostek, a former State Teacher of the Year who has served on the selection committee since the beginning, said she wasn’t surprised by this recognition.

“All of us on the committee were impressed by Miguel’s talent, his accomplishments and his commitment to education,” she said. “It has been a great pleasure to see him advance in his career and have such a big impact in his hometown of Meriden and well beyond in the years since then.”

Miguel joined the faculty of Israel Putnam School in Meriden, Conn., in 1998. Then in 2003, at the age of 27, he became the state’s youngest principal when he was named to lead Hanover Elementary School. He earned a doctorate from the University of Connecticut in 2011.

Ever humble and gracious, Dr. Cardona said, “I would not have been eligible to receive this prestigious recognition had it not been for the supportive and student-driven environment that Meriden provides. The professionals here understand the importance of supporting one another and aim to focus their energies on what is best for children.”

Here’s what CAS said in announcing the award:
“Dr. Cardona is known for his insistence on high standards and his single-minded commitment to high levels of student learning.
“He has coupled passion and courage with purpose and direction to build a vibrant, nurturing, child-oriented community where student achievement is abounding; teachers are challenged and supported; and parents are fully engaged in the life of the school.
“He has succeeded in boosting the academic achievement of a diverse and challenging student body while at the same time enhancing the social and cultural climate of the school. Visitors to Hanover are immediately struck by the warm, open and caring environment fostered by Dr. Cardona.”

Dr. Cardona has initiated a number of programs that have helped to improve student learning at Hanover.
• The “Million Word Club” is a literacy initiative that rewards students who read one million words with a monthly non-cafeteria lunch with the principal.
• “Leaders’ Literacy Day” welcomes local leaders into classrooms to read books and discuss their role in the community.
• “Success Time” allocates 30-minute learning slots during which teachers provide individualized literacy instruction for students.

One of Dr. Cardona’s greatest successes has been his ability to increase parental involvement. Each school year begins with a “First Day Celebration.” He greets parents and students on the school lawn and personally escorts them into the building to meet teachers and visit classrooms.

He makes parents feel like valued and vital members of the school community, and Hanover has achieved 100 percent parent participation in student conferences for the past five years.

Says Dr. Kristina Talbert-Slagle, a Hanover parent, “Dr. Cardona emphasizes that student learning involves not only the school, but also the parents and the community, and that our involvement in our children’s learning is always welcome. He is a committed, passionate educator, principal and child advocate, actively engaged in promoting student achievement and fostering connections between home and school.”

Dr. Cardona has had an impact as a leader in the Meriden community and statewide.

He co-founded the Meriden Coalition for Educational Excellence, a two-year-old pro-education advocacy group which has united community members in support of education funding for the Meriden schools.

He co-chaired a task force formed by the Connecticut Legislature to address the academic achievement gap in the state’s schools. As guest speaker at our annual scholarship reception in 2011, he gave an inspirational message about his work on the achievement and the role of teachers of color in today’s public schools.

Colleagues in Meriden view Dr. Cardona as a gifted administrator who is able to balance a strong professional focus with a warm personality. They say he is both a leader and a listener; he supports yet challenges.

Here’s what some of them said upon learning of the award:
Dr. Mark Benigni, superintendent: “Dr. Cardona is an exceptional leader who brings out the best in his staff and students.”

Robert Angeli, associate superintendent: “The high academic and behavioral standards at Hanover School are nestled in a welcoming and nurturing school climate focused on the social and emotional growth of the students.”

Susan Perrone, supervisor of Language Arts K-5: “Hanover is successful not only because Dr. Cardona expects excellence, but also because he is a principal who consistently demonstrates hard work, admirable character, diligence, empathy and drive.”

Pamela Dominello, first grade teacher: “Miguel instills in us the belief that we are all responsible for student success. He motivates us through his example and by providing us with the support and resources that we need to be effective, caring educators.”

I’m pleased to share this great news about an outstanding Alma Exley Scholar who is making a difference in the lives of so many fortunate students.
– Woody Exley

Two Alma Exley Scholars, Desi Nesmith and Jessica Raugitinane, represented UConn’s Neag School of Education on a recent visit to the capitol in Washington, D.C.

Dean Thomas DeFranco invited them to join him for a Day on the Hill, an annual event organized by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE).

Ms. Raugitinane, the 2012 recipient of the Alma Exley Memorial Scholarship, recently completed her junior year in the five-year Integrated Bachelor’s and Master’s Program at the University of Connecticut. She is home for the summer in Alexandria, Va.

Mr. Nesmith, honored as an Alma Exley Scholar in 2000, is principal of Metacomet School in Bloomfield, Conn. He holds bachelor’s and graduate degrees from UConn.

Joining them was Tara Murphy, a 2006 graduate of UConn, who has taught for six years at a public elementary school in Fairfax County, Va., where she was named the First-Year Teacher of the Year. Also participating were Associate Dean Marijke Kehrhahn and Assistant Dean Yuhang Rong.

Ms. Raugitinane called the two-day event an “educational and inspirational experience.”

“I am extremely honored to have been a part of this event,” she said. “I learned so much about education and the politics affecting it. I am now more motivated to continue learning about educational politics so I can be an effective advocate for education and voice for my college peers.”

The group visited offices of the members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation. They discussed educational issues with legislative aides for Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-3rd District), Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th), and Rep. Chris Murphy (D-5th).

Dean DeFranco said the group’s main message was that Congress should not paint all teacher-preparation programs with the same negative broad brush stroke. Rather, he said, Congress should identify centers of excellence and use resources wisely in encouraging the sharing of best practices.

Mr. Nesmith, Ms. Raugitinane, and Ms. Murphy shared with the congressional aides some of the lessons they have learned from the Neag School, and described why the school has been producing effective educators.

The group also met with a number of the representatives of other educator-preparation programs who were attending from 34 other states.

“This was a great opportunity to meet and share ideas and concerns with educational leaders from around the country,” Mr. Nesmith said. “And when we visited the congressional offices, we had the opportunity to let them know about the impact of the Alma Exley Scholarship Program.”

– Woody Exley

Posted June 27, 2012

Alma Exley Scholars continue to distinguish themselves in the classroom and the community. Violet Jiménez Sims, whom we honored in 2008, was the keynote speaker at a program in remembrance of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at Spottswood A.M.E. Zion Church in New Britain on Jan. 16, 2012.

Ms. Jiménez Sims is a Spanish teacher and co-advisor of the African American Club at New Britain High School.

Civic leaders who spoke included Timothy O’Brien, mayor of New Britain, and Ron Davis, president of the New Britain NAACP.

Ms. Jiménez Sims recalled the Rev. Dr. King as a leader who changed history through the force of his intellect and the power of his words. “He showed us how to fight injustice without violence,” she said. “He gave his life for equality.”

Reflecting on the history of our country, she said the suffering of the African American people has created a rich culture of courage and creativity.

“For every success story, however, there are still too many drop-outs and too many brothers in prison,” she said. “The effects of slavery and racism on our society have not been dissolved.”

Ms. Jiménez Sims pointed out that Connecticut has some of the country’s best public school systems as well as the largest achievement gap.

She called for more teachers of color, pointing out that less than 10 percent of public school teachers in Connecticut are persons of color while minorities account for 36 percent of public school students. And one-third of the state’s teachers of color are working in three major urban school systems.

I was pleased that she mentioned the Alma Exley Scholarship Program as an important initiative to encourage a more diverse teaching profession.

Ms. Jiménez Sims urged her audience to “take advantage of the freedoms that we do have, so that Dr. King’s sacrifice was not in vain.” And she said we need to continue working for racial harmony.

“What is racial harmony?” she asked. “I don’t believe in a ‘melting pot’ or a ‘color-blind society.’ A melting pot implies that we need to assimilate. Why can’t we validate and respect one another’s customs and beliefs?”

Ms. Jiménez Sims concluded by quoting the following words from the Rev. Dr. King:

“If you have never found something so dear and so precious to you that you will die for it, then you aren’t fit to live.

“One day some great opportunity stands before you and calls upon you to stand up for some great principle, some great issue, some great cause – and you refuse to do it because you are afraid; you refuse to do it because you want to live longer; you’re afraid that you will lose your job, or you’re afraid that you will be criticized or that you will lose your popularity… and so you refuse to take the stand.

“Well you may go on and live until you are 90. And the cessation of breathing in your life is but the belated announcement of an earlier death of the spirit.

“You died when you refused to stand up for right; you died when you refused to stand up for truth; you died when you refused to stand up for justice.”

As part of her presentation, Ms. Jiménez Sims read an essay that she had written about her reaction to the use of the N-word by teenagers today. The essay is featured in the In Their Own Words section of this website.

– Woody Exley

Posted January 20, 2012