Finalists Viviana Conner, Warren Morgan, Madeline Negrón.
One current top New Haven school administrator, one who fled the Birks administration and a school system leader from the Midwest are the final candidates to serve as New Haven’s next superintendent.
The Board of Education (BOE) publicly disclosed the final-three list on Monday. Current Superintendent Iline Tracey is retiring at the end of the academic year.
The new superintendent will tackle a city school system in which a plurality (soon majority) of students are now Hispanic, and which has challenged by academic and attendance rates that rank at the bottom of the state.
Panels of “stakeholders” (defined as “students, parents, teachers, administrators, support staff, business and community leaders”) will join the Board of Education’s Personnel Search Committee in conducting interviews of the three finalists the week of March 27, according to a BOE press released. The goal is to announce the new superintendent in April and have the person begin work July 1.
The finalists are:
• Madeline Negrón has been rumored to be the inside favorite since before the “search” began. She served as director of instruction of New Haven’s public schools until, under the stormy tenure of former Superintendent Carol Birks, she was one of three Hispanic school leaders to flee the system. She took her current job as acting deputy superintendent of Hartford’s school system.
• Viviana Conner currently serves in the New Haven Public Schools administration as assistant superintendent of instructional leadership and school improvement.
• Warren Morgan serves as chief academic officer of the public schools in Indianapolis. He has served as an administrator in the Cleveland school system and a classroom teacher in Chicago.
Another internal candidate, Assistant Superintendent Keisha Redd-Hannans, was among six semi-finalists but did not make it to the final round.
Following are biographies of the three finalists provided by the Board of Education:
Ms. Viviana Conner
Viviana Conner’s perspectives on urban education were formed by professional experiences that started as a substitute teacher in the New Haven Public Schools.
Ms. Conner began as an elementary bilingual teacher at Columbus Family Academy in New Haven, CT. She has held many administrative positions and worked at all school levels as a building leader and as a district supervisor during the last 21 years of her 28 years in education.
In 2019, Ms. Conner joined the Hartford Public Schools as an executive director for school leadership. She supervised 16 schools, oversaw a turnaround high school through the Commissioner’s Network, facilitated construction meetings for two schools, and collaborated with principals and the finance office to ensure equitable and fiscally responsible budget practices.
Ms. Conner returned to New Haven in 2022 as assistant superintendent of instructional leadership/school improvement. She supervises 15 schools and administers a Commissioner’s Network Grant, School Improvement Grants at four schools, and a Title I budget that is over $13 million.
A native of Puerto Rico, Ms. Conner moved to Connecticut in 1986 when her mother was recruited as a bilingual teacher for the New Haven Public Schools. She attended Wilbur Cross High School upon her arrival. She holds a master of arts degree in elementary education and a 6th year degree in education leadership from Southern Connecticut State University. She completed the Executive Leadership Program at the University of Connecticut in 2017 and the Superintendent Leadership Program with the Association of Latino Administrators & Superintendents in 2018.
In 2020 she was recognized as one of Connecticut’s 100 Women of Color. She serves on the board for Arte Inc. and CT After School Network. Nationally, she serves on AASA Advisory for Aspiring Latinx Superintendents, and she facilitates the ALAS Student Leadership Academy Alumni Network.
Ms. Conner resides in New Haven with her son, Michael Terrell Conner Jr.
Dr. Warren Morgan
As an experienced educator, Dr. Warren Morgan recognizes the potential every child has and that an excellent and equitable education is the window to a world of opportunities for our children. He grew up on Chicago’s south side and attended schools with demographics similar to New Haven Public Schools. Strong teachers, quality educational programs and family support changed the trajectory of his life, which is why he has dedicated his life to ensuring that a student’s race, identity, economic status nor zip code determines life outcomes. He is committed to investing in and working with students, teachers, leaders, and the community to deliver a world-class educational experience for children.
As the chief academic officer for Indianapolis Public Schools, Dr. Morgan oversees the academic vision, strategy, and policy of the district, which have led to improvement in student performance in English language arts, mathematics, graduation rates, and school culture indicators. Prior to joining IPS, he served as Executive Director of Teach For America-St. Louis. He also has worked for Presidents Obama and Trump as a White House Fellow. Before his time in Washington, D.C., he was an academic superintendent in Cleveland, where he supervised the city’s turnaround schools.
Dr. Morgan served as a high school principal in Chicago, where he led a school turnaround and significantly improved outcomes. He taught secondary science in St. Louis and was awarded Outstanding Teacher of the Year. He began his career as a bill analyst for the Illinois Senate.
He holds an M.Ed. in educational administration from the University of Missouri-St. Louis and an Ed.D. in urban educational leadership from the University of Illinois-Chicago. He is a Broad Center Fellow for Public Education Leadership at the Yale University School of Management and has an executive certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from Washington University St. Louis.
Dr. Morgan enjoys spending time with his family, morning workouts, sports, and the arts. He is an active member of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Dr. Madeline Negrón
Dr. Madeline Negrón has spent her professional career as an educator in Connecticut urban environments rich with cultural and linguistic diversity. She is currently the acting deputy superintendent of academics and school leadership for the Hartford Public Schools, where she previously served as the chief of academics, teaching, learning and student supports. Dr. Negrón is a former director of instruction and director of early childhood for the New Haven Public Schools and served both as the principal and earlier as a classroom teacher at Hill Regional Career Magnet High School. Dr. Negrón served over 10 years at Windham Middle School in Willimantic, where her family settled after moving from the island of Puerto Rico.
Her personal experience as a multilingual learner in the Connecticut public educational system fed her life’s passion for equity and excellence in schools. Dr. Negrón has over 25 years of public education experience, comprised of elementary and secondary instruction, administrative site leadership, as well as experience as a faculty adjunct in the Educational Leadership Department at Southern Connecticut State University. She began her career as a bilingual education teacher and has worked as an assistant principal, principal, central office administrator and as a senior executive level administrator.
Dr. Negrón is proud to be a first-generation college graduate. She earned a master of arts degree in education with a minor in bilingual bicultural education and a Ph.D. in curriculum and instruction from the University of Connecticut. Dr. Negrón is a co-founder and past-president of the Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents. She has been a member of the CSDE Minority Teacher Recruitment Policy Oversight Council since 2016, of the Board of Directors of ARTE Inc. since 2017, of the Aspen Education and Society Program since 2020, and of the Board of Directors of CATCH Global Foundation since 2021
Dr. Negrón and her husband are the proud parents of a daughter who graduated from the New Haven Public Schools and currently attends Southern Connecticut State University.
This has to be a joke right? They added in Dr. Morgan just because. They (meaning the BOE) already knows who they want. And what a coincidence she made it to the final round.
I’m saddened to hear that Mrs. Redd-Hannans was excluded given how much everyone enjoys working with her! She has been such a relief and breath of fresh air at times when everything else has been confusing and unfair. Keisha would have made an amazing Superintendent and I hope she realizes how much of an asset she is to this district and her exclusion does NOT mimic the thoughts of the teachers in this district.