School is out, but work is just getting started for Dr. Beth Schiavino-Narvaez, who was selected as the new superintendent of Hartford Public Schools after an intense nationwide search.
“I am extremely excited and honored to serve as your superintendent,” Narvaez said Monday.
According to the Richard F. Wareing, chairman of the Hartford Board of Education, Narvaez was evaluated based on very detailed criteria.
“Beth is a strong manager, a strategic thinker, open and engaging,” said Wearing. “She is someone who has great experience in teaching and learning.”
Learning is exactly what Narvaez says she plans to do this summer.
As part of her entry plan, she is looking to meet with families, students, staff, elected officials and community leaders.
Narvaez has also established an 11-member transition team to guide the process. The team consists of national, state and local experts charged with compiling a broad assessment of Hartford Public Schools.
“We have five key areas of study we are going to undertake as part of the transition,” said Narvaez.
Those areas include: leadership and organizational culture, teaching and learning, operational effectiveness and efficiency, equity and family and community engagement.
“[Beth] is someone who is deeply committed on a personal level to deeper equity in the system. So every student from the best school to the lowest performing school have the opportunity to have a great education that will prepare them for college and for life,” said Wearing.
Narvaez vowed Monday that "every child will attend a high performance school, no exceptions."
For Narvaez, that promise means closing an achievement gap plaguing the school system, enhancing special education as well as English language learning programs.
A published transition of the team’s report is expected in October.
