Dr. Zaleta Awarded Prestigious Exceptional Principal Award from CALAS
This week, Rogers Park Middle School Principal, Dr. Kristy Zaleta, accepted the prestigious Exceptional Principal Award by the Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents (CALAS). The award “recognizes a school principal who goes beyond the day-to-day demands of their position to create an exceptional educational environment for Latino students and their families.”
Rogers Park Middle School is composed of 78% Black, indigenous students of color, 63% of which are Hispanic students, and 43% multilingual learners. The diverse student population has shown double-digit growth in reading and math this year alone. “It's an honor to be recognized for the work we do at Rogers Park Middle School to engage and welcome our families,” Dr. Zaleta said of the Honor. “Awards like these are never earned alone.
This honor is a testament to the collaborative team of administrators I have with Mrs. Battaglia and Mrs. Perez, along with the dedication and willingness of the teachers and staff at Rogers Park to do the hard work because it's the right work for students and families.”
CALAS is a non-profit organization committed to achieve Latino educator/student advancement and supports. “Leaders must establish a common mission that will focus on how program models and instruction can be designed to maximize the linguistic, cognitive and social exchanges between students. With the demographic shift, the investment in research-based models and instruction is actually an investment in the future well-being of everyone. English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and bilingual programs which are high high-quality, comprehensive and effective are essential to acquire English language proficiency and academic proficiency for students who are English learners (ELs).”
CALAS, the state chapter of the National Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, was newly founded by a group of school leaders from New Haven. They have partnered with the Connecticut Association of Schools.
productive learning environments for all students. A graduate of the Connecticut Alternate Route to Certification program, Dr. Zaleta started her education career at Rogers Park Middle School where she spent 10 years as an 8th grade science teacher. During this time, Dr. Zaleta was recognized as Danbury’s Teacher of the Year Award. In addition, Dr. Zaleta received the Connecticut Excellence in Middle School Science
Teaching Award.
Education is a second career for Dr. Zaleta. Prior to becoming an educator, she worked for eight years as a Research Scientist. Dr. Zaleta has a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from Montclair State University, a Master of Science in Education with a concentration in Instructional Technology, and a Doctorate in Instructional Leadership from Western Connecticut State University, where she is currently an adjunct professor.
Dr. Zaleta embraces education as a never-ending process and strives to foster a love of learning and continuous improvement in all of her students and staff members. Her educational experiences have afforded her the opportunity to collaborate with a diverse group of people with the express goal of increasing student growth, achievement, and engagement in learning.
She is passionate about creating opportunities for all students to support their growth and development academically, socially, and emotionally. Dr. Zaleta’s educational philosophy is based on her uncompromising belief that all children can learn, given a positive and engaging learning environment, a committed and focused educational team, in partnership with an encouraging community, and a supportive family.