BOE chooses new superintendent

WINSTED — After a search that lasted several months, West Hartford resident Tom Danehy has been named the new superintendent for the Winchester School District.The Board of Education voted to hire Danehy after an hour-long executive session during a special meeting held on Tuesday, July 12.The vote was 6-1, with board member Carol Palomba casting the lone opposing vote.Board member Paul O’Meara was not present at the meeting.When contacted after his hiring, Danehy said that he is looking forward to the upcoming school year.“I’m eager and enthusiastic to start,” Danehy said. “I hope to take the [district] to the next level, including improving test scores and creating a learning environment where children are treated with respect. I hope to give them motivation and to get them to know their skills and talents. I also want to provide for the needs of the parents. In my education career, I have found that all parents want the best for their children, so we need to provide the environment for that.”Danehy is currently the executive director of Human Capital Development for the Stamford school system, where he has served for less than a year.He has obtained multiple college degrees, including a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing in 1984 and a Master of Arts degree in communication in 1986, both from Fairfield University, a Master of Science degree in reading in 1988 from Southern Connecticut State University, a Juris Doctorate in 1990 from Quinnipiac Law School, a Sixth Year Administration and Supervision degree in 1992 from Fordham University in New York City and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership in 2005 from the University of Hartford.He started out his educational career as the principal of Cathedral of St. Joseph School in Hartford in 1991, where he served until 1994.In the ensuing years, Danehy has served as vice principal for Weaver High School, principal of West Middle Elementary School and the principal for Greater Path Academy at Manchester Community College.“I’ve been in education since I was 24 years old,” Danehy said. “My parents were teachers and so was my grandmother. Everyone in my family had a role in education, so to me, it was a fabric of my household. Originally I wanted to be a lawyer, so I taught during the day and took classes at law school at night. Eventually, I liked my work at my day job much better than law school.”Danehy said that successful learning is all about keeping students engaged.“They need to be kept on task with lessons that are stimulating and motivating,” he said. “Developing literacy is very important, not only where the students are reading at grade level, but where they are prepared for the future.”As for the current lawsuit the Board of Education is pursuing against the town, Danehy did not want to comment on it.“I think maybe half an hour after being hired is a little too soon to answer any questions about it,” he said. “I do think that education is very important for the community and is the basis of the community’s core. I think that it’s important that people are fiscally responsible. It’s really important that funds are there for students to support children.”Danehy said he has also toured the buildings in the school district, but would not comment on the potential of a school building closing.“When you look at a learning environment it is very important,” he said. “Not just for children but also for employees. There are standards that need to be met and followed and we will make that happen.”Board member Christine Royer, who was part of the district’s superintendent search committee, spoke positively of Danehy.“Knowing all the things that need to be dealt with, he was still willing, able and excited to come to the district,” Royer said. “When we interviewed him and asked him questions, he knew all the answers very early on. Unfortunately, he follows the blogs. But I think that is imperative that anyone who looks at a job anywhere follows what is going on in the community.”Danehy will start as superintendent on Monday, Aug. 1.His salary will be $130,000 per school year.

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