Superintendent Low Announces Appointment of Ridgefield High School Principal

I am pleased to announce that last night (May 21), the Board of Education appointed Dr. Stacey Gross to the position of Ridgefield High School Principal effective July 1, 2012.

The appointment comes after an extended search process consisting of position posting, focus groups (students, teachers, non-certified staff, parents, and administrators), application screening, first-round committee interviews, and second-round committee interviews. The search was then extended and our next steps were hiring Cooperative Education Services (CES) to repost and recruit followed by additional application screenings, committee interviews, a written task, reference checks, and site visit. The interviewing committee members included teachers, Board of Education members, parents, non-certified staff, and administrators. A visit to Ridgefield High School was also conducted which provided the opportunity for students and additional teachers and administrators to meet the candidate.

As background, Dr. Gross earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, a Master’s of Education in Special Education, an Advanced Certificate in Administration and Supervision, and a Doctorate of Education in Administration and Supervision, all from Fordham University.

Dr. Gross began her professional career as a special education teacher in New York State for five years prior to accepting a special education teaching position in Greenwich, CT. After eleven years in the classroom at Greenwich High School, she became one of the school’s Housemasters for three years, responsible for approximately 550 students in grades 9-12.

Following her positions at Greenwich High School, Dr. Gross became Principal of Western Middle School. Her accomplishments included introducing and implementing the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program, instituting an advisory program, developing a positive school community, and setting high expectations for all. As a result of her leadership at Western Middle School, the school was awarded the “Exemplary School Climate Award” from the Connecticut Association of Schools. Dr. Gross also received the 2010 Middle School Principal of the Year award from CAS.

Dr. Gross was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Professional Learning of the Greenwich Public Schools in 2010-11. Her responsibilities include leading district-wide curriculum work, collaborating on creation and oversight of the Teacher Evaluation Professional Learning Plan, supervising program coordinators and coaches, overseeing curriculum reviews and yearly monitoring reports, and annual budget development and oversight.

Dr. Sidney Freund, former Greenwich Superintendent, noted her accomplishments at Western Middle School and described her leadership style as “warm and collegial.” He commented on her positive relationships with students and parents and her ability to make tough decisions. Dr. Ellen Flanagan, current Deputy Superintendent Greenwich Public Schools, detailed Dr. Gross’ work at Western Middle School. She stated Dr. Gross implemented an effective transition plan that focused on listening and outreach to all groups, recognized the challenges, and worked to bring about significant improvements. Dr. Flanagan stated Dr. Gross builds relationships with all constituents and works to find common ground. She described Dr. Gross as an excellent educator, a good listener, and someone who sets clear expectations.

During the site visit, we visited Western Middle School and met with administrators, teachers, and parents who had worked with Dr. Gross in her various roles in Greenwich. The administrators commented on Dr. Gross’ collaborative leadership style and her excellent mentor skills. They spoke about her extensive knowledge about curriculum and instruction and her ability to pull groups together. Teachers described her as providing valuable insights during the evaluation process and noted she was “one of the best” at providing purposeful and targeted feedback. They described her manner as “direct and respectful.” They noted that Dr. Gross motivates people to do more and acknowledges it when it happens. They also described her as very approachable and fair. Parents described the great relationships she established and her outreach to them. They described how she instilled confidence with a broad range of parents, increased parent involvement in the school, and implemented successful strategies to build positive school climate. All groups spoke about Dr. Gross’ relationships with students; one parent noted her child saw Dr. Gross as “awesome.” Everyone commented that students found Dr. Gross approachable, a good listener, fair, and that they respected her. All references and site visit groups stated that her leaving would be a huge loss to Greenwich.

I am enthusiastic and excited about the appointment of Dr. Gross as principal of Ridgefield High School. Her knowledge, skills, background, accomplishments, energy, leadership style, and commitment to students are a great match for the position. I am confident Dr. Gross will build upon the accomplishments of the staff and students at Ridgefield High School and lead everyone forward to successfully meet the challenges ahead.

I want to thank the members of the search committee: Patty Boutilier, Irene Burgess, Karen Dewing, Austin Drukker, Sue Fernandez, Juanita Hall, Abigail Cahill Kagan, Sarah Isaac, Emily Kilbourn, Kim Nash, Stephanie Parker, Tim Salem, Fran Walton, Mike Yagid, Paulette Zaccagnino. Their time, commitment, and skills during the process made this appointment possible.