Contributed Photo
(Left to right) Peter Colaccino, Joseph DiBacco, and Amy Cosciello.
ANSONIA — Dr. Joseph DiBacco, Superintendent of Schools, has announced the hiring of two new principals: Peter Colaccino, for Ansonia Middle School, and Amy Cosciello, for Mead School. They were the unanimous selection for their respective positions by two separate interviewing committees, which met with at least six candidates each.
Mr. Colaccino will be teamed with Steve Marchetti, who served as interim principal of AMS last year. Ms. Cosciello is filling a vacancy, following the resignation of Amy O’Brien, who accepted a principal’s position in Cheshire last month.
“We conducted a rigorous and in-depth selection process for both of these positions, and we feel we have a very strong administrative team to start the 2019 – 20 school year,” Dr. DiBacco said. “In addition to hiring these two administrators, we have been fortunate to restore most of the teaching positions in our elementary schools which were cut a year ago, thanks to several retirements and resignations and other cost-saving measures.”
Ms. Cosciello has served as an assistant principal in Ansonia for two years, including stints at Prendergast School and at Ansonia Middle School, and taught at Mead School as a first grade teacher for 12 years. She has participating in a number of district committees since 2005, including the TEAM program, Instructional Rounds Committee, and the District Language Arts Committee. She served as Ansonia’s Teacher of the year for the 2010-11 year; served as coordinator of the Ansonia Summer School program from 2014 – 2016, and created the Community Mentor Program for Grades 4 – 6 in 2017. Ms. Cosciello earned several degrees from SCSU, including a Bachelor’s of Science in Elementary Education and Library Science; a Master’s in Remedial Reading for Grades 1 – 12 (a 102 state certification); a sixth year degree in Educational Leadership (an 092 certification); and a sixth year in Educational Collaboration & Consultation, with a concentration in Autism.
For Ms. Cosciello, becoming principal of Mead School is personal. “I taught first grade there, and I went to kindergarten at Mead School.” She recalled, “I cried every day when I was in kindergarten.”
“It’s nice to give back now and lead a school in which I started my own educational journey. This is very personal and it’s important that I finish what I came here to do, which is to lead a school, especially in Ansonia where I grew up, graduated and got my first teaching job.”
While Ms. Cosciello has spent the majority of her educational career in the elementary level, Mr. Colaccino has spent nearly his entire career at the middle school. He has nearly 11 years of experience, including more than six years as an assistant principal of Lincoln Middle School in Meriden. Mr. Colaccino earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English from UConn, where he graduated Cum Laude; a Master of Arts Degree in Education from Quinnipiac where he graduated with Distinction; and a Sixth Year Degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Bridgeport, where he also earned his 092 state certification. Mr. Colaccino also taught Developmental Writing at Naugatuck Valley Community College for three years.
Mr. Colaccino began his career as a middle school language arts teacher in Wolcott, where he served as a mentor teacher and head soccer coach of the boys’ team. After a brief stint as an English teacher at a technical high school in Middletown, he accepted a language arts teaching position at a middle school in Plainville, where he served as a member of the district’s Strategic Planning Committee and served as an administrative intern. In December 2012, he accepted a position as assistant principal of Lincoln Middle School in Meriden, where he served on a number of district-level leadership teams.
“I am both honored and humbled to have been selected as the new Principal of Ansonia Middle School,” he said. “I am eager to work with a great staff to help the students of the middle school reach their fullest potential.”
Dr. DiBacco, who spent his first month as Superintendent meeting with community leaders, said he is excited “to begin a new chapter in Ansonia Public Schools” with new staff and new and expanded programs. “We are working on a number of opportunities for our students both in and out of the classroom. We expect great things this year!”
The new principals are earch being paid $134,212 annually.
