Dr. Joseph DiBacco has been appointed as the new Assistant Superintendent of Schools. Dr. Carol Merlone, Superintendent of Schools, made the announcement jointly with the Ansonia Board of Education.
In response to a question from the Valley Indy, the school district said DiBacco’s salary will be $159,000.
Dr. DiBacco, a Meriden resident who has been principal of Shepherd Glen School in Hamden for seven years, will begin his new duties on Monday, Aug. 21. He replaces Michael Wilson, who is now the Superintendent of Seymour Public Schools. The Ansonia Board of Education appointed Dr. DiBacco at a special meeting on July 20, when they also met him and his family members.
Dr. Merlone said she is looking forward to the new, innovative approach that Dr. DiBacco will be bringing to Ansonia. She noted that his background and credentials have well prepared him for his new position. Dr. DiBacco is a graduate of Boston College, where he received his Bachelor’s degree in special education. He obtained three additional degrees from Southern Connecticut State University, including a master’s degree in learning disabilities; his sixth year in educational leadership, and his doctorate in educational leadership in 2014. He has also earned his 093 Superintendent certification and his 085 School Business Administrator certification from the State of Connecticut.
“I feel Dr. Joseph DiBacco not only has the credentials to lead the district, he also has the ability to understand the many challenges that our district is presented with on a daily basis,” Dr. Merlone said. “What I like most about Dr. Joe is that he loves people, is approachable and CARES about children and their families.”
Dr. DiBacco returned to his high school alma mater – Orville H. Platt High School in Meriden – to begin his career as an educator. He was a special education teacher for seven years, followed by four years as an administrative intern. In July 2007, he was appointed as an assistant principal at Hamden High School, then assumed the principal’s position at Shepherd Glen, a K‑6 elementary school. He also taught for one year at SCSU as an adjunct professor.
Under his leadership, Dr. DiBacco reported that Shepherd Glen was the highest performing Title I school in the district for the last five years. He credits increased parent engagement, the restructuring of Title I support staff, and the use of web based assessments and interventions as contributing factors to improved student learning.
Dr. DiBacco was the top candidate based on his credentials and experience. The district received seven applications for the assistant superintendent’s position. A committee comprised of school district staff, two Board members, and a professor in the Educational Leadership department at SCSU interviewed four candidates in July.
“Dr. DiBacco is bursting with energy, glows with extraordinary insight and is willing to take this journey with me, supporting our students on a daily basis and being grounded in the belief that our students need to remain the focus of all that we do,” Dr. Merlone added.
“I am honored and humbled to be appointed as Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Ansonia,” Dr. DiBacco said. “I am excited to become part of the Ansonia family, and I can assure the community that I will give my time, attention, and dedication to the Ansonia Public Schools. I’m eager to work with the talented people in the community to help build Ansonia Public Schools into a model of innovation.”
