Danbury hires 4 new assistant principals

DANBURY — Four new faces will join Danbury elementary schools’ leadership teams, taking on newly created roles to assist principals amid growing enrollment

Superintendent Kevin Walston announced the district’s hiring of four new assistant principals Wednesday night.

Alexandra Pacheco, Aleshia James-Robinson, Catherine Calabrese, and Fatima Susana-Tejada received a virtual welcome during Wednesday’s regular school board meeting. Three of the four new hires are being brought in from other school districts, while one, Pacheco, has already been working in the district, according to a press release from Walston.

All have been working in administrative or coaching capacities prior to their hiring in Danbury.

“These new administrators are committed to ensuring that ALL students learn to their maximum potential and this happens best with collaboration with teachers, staff, students, and families,” wrote Walston in a press release. “They are familiar with the innovative and successful practices that make schools successful and we look forward to their collective arrival.”

A school board committee originally interviewed a narrowed-down group of nine qualified applicants over a two day period before making their recommendation to Walston, according to school board chair Rachel Chaleski.

“The interest was incredibly high for these positions,” she said. “We’re excited to have them.”

Pacheco, who has worked in various capacities over the past eight years, will take on her new role at Ellsworth Elementary School.

James-Robinson is returning to Danbury, where she did her student teaching and attended Western Connecticut State University, to work at Shelter Rock Elementary School. Most recently, James-Robinson worked in New Haven Public Schools where she has been a literacy coach for the past two years.

Susana-Tejada is coming to the district from Norwalk, where she works as the educational administrator of specialized instruction. She has more than a decade of experience as a kindergarten and dual language teacher, the press release said.

Danbury also hired Catherine Calabrese from New Milford schools for its new administrative openings. Calabrese previously worked as an elementary and middle school principal in New Milford, as well as interim assistant superintendent. She will now be taking on a new role as assistant principal at Stadley Rough Elementary School.

“I’m glad we’re able to do that,” said board member Joe DaSilva. “I do know that the principals were very clear to us they needed help. Our schools are busy, they’re crowded. And they needed the staff, they needed the help, they needed the support.”

While he was not part of the selection committee, DaSilva said he has heard great things about all candidates.

Chaleski said that an additional administrator at the elementary level will allow principals to focus more on their duties.

“I’m excited for our larger elementary schools to have this position,” said Chaleski. “The principals there in those schools— our larger schools— have been stretched very thin for a long time and they need a right hand man, so to speak.”