FOR RELEASE
Published on March 7, 2024
Worcester, MA - Worcester Education Collaborative (WEC) hosted its annual Principal for a Day program on Monday, March 4, 2024. The program is designed to strengthen the connection between the schools and community leaders by inviting them to shadow principals at Worcester Public Schools. This year’s program hosted 50 community leaders who visited 17 participating schools, the largest group ever facilitated by the program.
During their visits, participants spent structured time with the school's leadership, staff, and students, allowing them to learn about the unique challenges and triumphs related to teaching and learning in Worcester, as well as the demands and rewards of educational leadership in a Gateway City. The experience affords community leaders the invaluable opportunity to witness firsthand what students are learning, how they are learning it, and the important relationships that power education.
“What a joy it was to be with the students, the teachers, and the administration at Lincoln Street School. It was truly a positive learning environment where everyone in every classroom was working for a common purpose. And beyond learning, the school is a community resource providing food and clothing for families in need. Bravo and hats off to the Lincoln Street School community,” said Christopher Collins, participant in this year’s program.
Following their visits, participants and school administrators gathered for a luncheon sponsored by The Hanover Insurance Group. The luncheon featured a keynote address from Ben Forman, Research Director at MassINC, who shared his work on the importance of schools for neighborhood development. The program also featured comments from Dr. Rachel Monárrez, Superintendent of Worcester Public Schools, Mayor Joseph Petty of Worcester, and Jennifer Davis Carey, Executive Director of WEC.
“The ‘Principals for a Day’ always come back from their visits invigorated by what they see in the schools,” said Jennifer Davis Carey, Executive Director of Worcester Education Collaborative.
Participants in the 2024 Principal for a Day Program included:
Melanie Bonsu - Community Relations Manager, Saint-Gobain Abrasives
Joel Wallen - Leadership Worcester
Pete Dunn - President and CEO, Greater Worcester Community Foundation
Jermaine Johnson - Worcester School Committee Member
Sue Mailman - Worcester School Committee Member
Dennis Kerrigan - Executive Vice President/Chief Legal Officer, Hanover Insurance Group
Viviana Abreu-Hernandez - Vice President for External Affairs, Quinsigamond Community College
J. Christoper Collins - Of Counsel, Mirick O'Connell Attorneys at Law
Karen Pelletier - Executive Vice President, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce
Michelle Tufua Afriyie - Vice President for Strategic Enrollment & Student Engagement, Quinsigamond Community College
Bill Shaner - Journalist
Lynn Hernandez - Assistant Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Inclusion, UMass Chan Medical School
Kathleen Roy - School Committee Member
Amaris Gonzalez - Program Officer for Youth and Families, Greater Worcester Community Foundation
Carol Seager - Facilitator, The Forum
Shelley Rodman - League of Women Voters
Joel Kent - Chief Operating Officer, Fontaine Bros., Inc.
Holly Hodgkins - Office of Congressman McGovern
Mari Gonzalez - Leadership Worcester
Ronald Waddell Jr. - WEC Board Member
Angelo Padin - Leadership Worcester
Joyce Augustus - President, JCassand, Inc.
Eric Roldan - Leadership Worcester
Mark Borenstein - Leadership Worcester
Jennifer Hubert - Leadership Worcester
Jen Delaney - Leadership Worcester
Katherine Aguilar - Leadership Worcester
Rep. David LeBoeuf - MA State Representative
Jenn Madson - Leadership Worcester
Kathleen Glowacki - Leadership Worcester
Suzanne Graham Anderson - Leadership Worcester
Jessica Favreau - Leadership Worcester
Jason Gurtman - Leadership Worcester
Contact:
Jennifer Davis Carey, Executive Director, Worcester Education Collaborative
jdaviscarey@wecollaborative.org | (508) 615-5998
