Christine DiGrazia, principal at Derby’s Bradley Elementary School, announced she is resigning her position at the end of the school year.
DiGrazia, an Ansonia resident and a former journalist, was hired in November 2010 to replace long-time Derby educator Linda Coppola, who left to become principal at St. Mary – St. Michael School in Derby.
DiGrazia will remain on the job until June 2013. She was paid $115,000 in the first year of her contract.
In a letter posted on the Bradley School’s website, DiGrazia said she made her resignation public as early as possible so the school district has plenty of time to find a replacement.
She was one of 47 candidates vying for the Bradley principal’s job in 2010. DiGrazia was hired, in part, due to her deep Valley roots.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed working in Derby as I have been a resident of the Valley my entire life and continue to have a vested interest in the success of our students,” she wrote in her message to the community.
“I am proud of what the staff has accomplished under my leadership. Bradley School has changed in the past few years, facing all of the challenges seen in larger, urban districts. Yet the staff has made great strides in improving student performance since I was appointed principal,” she said.
A message seeking comment was left with DiGrazia late Tuesday. Her letter said she is ​“excited about pursuing new opportunities and challenges,” but did not offer specifics on her future plans.
DiGrazia mentioned ​“solid growth” in Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) reading scores among the accomplishments under her watch, along with ​“significant improvement” in basic reading skills for the students in Bradley’s lower grades.
DiGrazia’s complete letter follows:
Dear Bradley School Students and Families,
It is with mixed emotions that I am writing to let you know that I have tendered my resignation as Bradley Elementary School principal to Interim Superintendent of Schools George Tanner and the Derby Board of Education, effective at the end of the current school year in June 2013.
After working closely with the exceptional and dedicated Bradley School Staff to put programs in place that helped students reach new levels of achievement, I am excited about pursuing new opportunities and challenges.
I am honoring the terms of my contract, but resigning now in order to give the Derby School District ample time to find a highly qualified replacement.
I have thoroughly enjoyed working in Derby as I have been a resident of the Valley my entire life and continue to have a vested interest in the success of our students. I am proud of what the staff has accomplished under my leadership. Bradley School has changed in the past few years, facing all of the challenges seen in larger, urban districts. Yet the staff has made great strides in improving student performance since I was appointed principal.
For example, upper-grade students achieved solid growth in Connecticut Mastery Test (CMT) reading scores while data for lower-grade students show significant improvement in basic reading skills. These gains are due to increased time teachers spent in professional learning communities and in professional development and increased time spent on instruction and analysis of student achievement data. Another factor is the intensive instruction provided 30 minutes daily for low-achieving students and the creation of smaller ​“booster” classrooms for students in kindergarten, grade 2 and grade 4. Making SmartBoard and iPad technologies available to teachers – along with training – also increased student engagement.
More than ever before, students were empowered to be participants in the school-improvement process by joining student-centered committees related to health and wellness, school culture and climate, safety, and special-needs students. Cultural diversity was celebrated in more meaningful ways by participating in state grants that provided students extra-curricular programs in partnership with schools in New Haven and Waterbury. At the same time, the number of discipline issues was reduced by using a systematic, school-wide program to teach students core social and emotional skills and by joining forces with inter-district support agencies that offer supplemental social-skills programs.
Going forward, I am committed to assisting teachers with the new challenges of state-mandated programs related to Common Core state standards and teacher evaluation.
Finally, I would like to thank the Board of Education and, most of all, the Derby families, for the opportunity to work toward the success of each and every child in Bradley School.
Sincerely,
Christine DiGrazia
DiGrazia was hired during Stephen Tracy’s tenure as superintendent of Derby Public Schools. He left the district at the end of the 2011 – 2012 school year. George Tanner is currently serving as interim superintendent while the school board searches for a permanent replacement.
Chantal Gerckens, an active Bradley parent and co-president of the school’s PTA, said parents have mixed emotions.
A fresh start with a new administrator could be a positive for the school — along with a permanent replacement for former superintendent Tracy.
“Hopefully we will get someone in there that will lift the spirits back up and bring Bradley back up to standards and excel into the future,” Gerckens said in an e‑mail.
“This also ties in with a new superintendent. We really need all staff on board working together to brighten the future of education in Derby. Hopefully this can and will happen soon.”
Irving School principal Fran Gallo retired at the end of the 2011 – 2012 school year as well.
During her two years at Bradley, DiGrazia opened the school to reporters, inviting the press to events such as citizenship celebrations and pizza-naming fundraisers.
Her tenure was not without bumps. A paraprofessional at the school filed a union grievance in September, alleging Bradley administrators added unreasonable duties to her workload then retaliated when she complained. A brief story in the Valley Indy generated more than a dozen comments.
Prior to working at Bradley, DiGrazia was an Instructional Associate at the Thomas Hooker Elementary School in Meriden. The position was similar to being an assistant principal, she told the Valley Indy in 2010.
The Derby Board of Education has a meeting scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 5 at 6:30 p.m. at the Derby High School library. The agenda posted on the district’s website states the school board will ​“approve/accept” a resignation and accept a retirement but does not name names.