School Superintendent to Retire in January

From the Hamden Board of Education:

Hamden Superintendent of Schools Fran Rabinowitz announced today that she intends to retire effective Jan. 1, 2012. 

"This is obviously a difficult decision," said Rabinowitz, "but one that I had to take due to family commitments." 

The superintendent said that she intends to submit the necessary paperwork to the state immediately so that her retirement can be processed by the end of the year.  

According to BOE Chairman, Michael C. D'Agostino, the Board has asked, and Rabinowitz has agreed, to continue serving as superintendent at least through the end of the school year.  

'"We are fully supportive of Fran," said D'Agostino, "and we are thankful that she will be able to remain as Hamden’s educational leader through the end of the school year." 

“Fran’s commitment to the school community, positive relationships with staff and numerous accomplishments have made the Hamden school system ‘second to none,’” said Diane Marinaro, president of the Hamden Education Association.

D'Agostino said that he anticipates that after Jan. 1, Rabinowitz will work on a per diem rate to be negotiated by the board.  According to state law, retired superintendents can continue to work on an interim basis due to the shortage in the area, but can earn no more than the equivalent of 45 percent of the superintendent's salary on the date of retirement.  Rabinowitz currently earns $165,000 a year. 

D'Agostino said that the board has no plans to start an immediate search for a replacement. 

"A new superintendent in a district the size of Hamden's will cost significantly more in terms of salary and search fees.  There is no rush and most candidates are not available until the summer,” said D'Agostino.  “We have an incredibly strong core administrative team in place, most of whom Fran hired, and we have the utmost confidence in them."

Hamden hired Rabinowitz in 2007, taking her away from her position as Connecticut's Associate Commissioner of Education. 

"She has been everything we could have hoped for when we hired her -- and more," said D'Agostino. 

Highlights of her tenure in Hamden include:

• In 2007 there were seven Hamden schools not making “Annual Yearly Progress” under the federal No Child Left Behind law. Today, that number is down to two.

• A national report titled "The Same Starting Line: How School Boards Can Erase the Opportunity Gap Between Poor and Middle Class Children," positively cited Hamden as a model district where resources are distributed intelligently and equitably across the schools.  The report was produced by Appleseed, a non-profit public interest group made up of justice centers from around the country.

• Under Fran’s leadership, Hamden has experienced steady growth in test scores over the last few years, especially when following cohorts of students as they pass through Hamden’s school system over time.  

• In an era of NCLB and high-stakes testing, Hamden has managed to keep a well-rounded curriculum that includes arts, vocational, and athletic opportunities.

• Fran overhauled the teacher evaluation process: principals now observe teachers 8-12 times a year.

• Under Fran’s leadership, Hamden has strived to increase the achievement of all students and eliminate the achievement gap between racial and socioeconomic subgroups.  Fran implemented several programs to address the achievement gap including:

             - A preschool program at Helen Street.

            - Data Teams and Response to Intervention programs in all   schools.

             - Additional tutors in Hamden’s Title I schools.

            - The SAILS and RAISES programs in the Middle and High Schools which take students who show promise but are not excelling and move them into college-prep courses with increased rigor and the support necessary to succeed.