West Hartford Resident Named 'Principal of the Year' by Connecticut Association of Schools

Release submitted by the Connecticut Association of Schools.

The Connecticut Association of Schools (CAS) is pleased to announce the selection of the 2012 Principals of the Year. The winners were chosen by the CAS Awards and Recognition Committee, a selection committee consisting of active and retired principals and assistant principals. Congratulations to these outstanding administrators!

West Hartford resident Sally Biggs, principal of Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy in Hartford, has been named the 2012 CAS Middle School Principal of the Year. She was nominated for the award by her assistant principal, Sheldon Neal, who calls her a “transformational and collaborative leader who is committed to developing the best in her students and in the teaching and learning process.”

Biggs, now in her fifth year as principal of HMTCA, has cultivated an all-inclusive professional learning community predicated on a unity of purpose and an insistent belief that all children can achieve at high levels. Relentless in her pursuit of excellence for all students, Biggs approaches her work with one guiding principal: “All students can learn.” She has been a catalyst for change in teaching, learning, and assessment; and her efforts have resulted in a cohesive school community which is responsive to the educational needs of all of its students.

Upon learning of her selection, Biggs said, “I am honored to be recognized among the many tremendous principals from across the state of Connecticut and the city of Hartford. It is my belief that principals have the best, most rewarding job in the world. Every day, I work alongside an outstanding and dedicated group of educators and together we strive to create a nurturing and supportive learning environment which ensures that every child reaches his/her fullest potential. ”

Since her arrival at HMTCA in 2007, which was then known as Hartford Magnet Middle School (HMMS), Biggs has spearheaded a number of successful initiatives which have encouraged innovation, promoted student-centered learning and fostered personal connections among students and staff. Under her leadership, HMTCA established the Student Assistance Center allowing students who are struggling in the mainstream and in danger of being placed in a more restrictive environment to remain at HMTCA; designed assessment-driven individualized student success plans for ALL students; implemented the Drop Everything and Read program, a school-wide reading initiative; and established the WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) program to ease the transition of incoming sixth graders.

Determined to ensure that every student feels a sense of belonging and connection to the school, Biggs was the driving force behind the development of a student advisory program at HMTCA. She worked with staff to design a comprehensive, school- wide program which would promote opportunities for focused, meaningful interactions between students and teachers while at the same time facilitating home-school communication and encouraging family involvement.

A model of collaborative leadership, Biggs has created a supportive and collegial professional atmosphere which allows all stakeholders – teachers, support staff, parents, students, and community members alike – to be partners in the decision-making process and to enjoy a shared responsibility for the governance of the school.

Says literacy coach Cynthia Callahan, “Leadership at HMTCA is a shared commitment by a broad network of invested stakeholders all assembled and expertly coordinated by Sally.”

In 2011, thanks in large measure to Biggs’ progressive leadership, the then HMMS was honored by the Magnet Schools of America with its prestigious Dr. Ronald P. Simpson Distinguished Merit Award. HMMS was selected from a pool of 6,000 magnet schools across the country for its commitment to high academic standards, curriculum innovation and successful

Also in 2011, HMMS completed a historic partnership with Trinity College which resulted in the creation of the Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy, an Early College High School that now serves students in grades 6-9. In its first year, the academy has allowed 109 ninth grade students to enjoy a seamless educational experience and benefit from a rigorous college-oriented curriculum. The academy, whose mission is to motivate and prepare students from underprivileged backgrounds to attend and succeed in college, will ultimately expand through grade twelve.

A 1984 graduate of Springfield College (MA), Biggs went on to earn both a master’s degree and sixth-year certificate from Central Connecticut State University. She began her professional career as a physical education teacher and coach at Weaver High School in Hartford. In 1995, she was appointed associate principal at South Windsor High School where she was named Assistant Principal of the Year in 2004 and where she worked for eleven years before assuming the position she now holds.

CAS also named Dr. Thomas McMorran of Joel Barlow High School in Redding as 2012 High School Principal of the Year

The 2012 National Distinguished Principal, which is the equivalent of the Elementary School Principal of the Year, will be announced in May.