Evette Avila, Chief of Schools

evette.avila@hartfordschools.org

(860)695-8664

Ms. Avila is a well-known educational leader who continues to empower, lead, motivate, and unite others to make sustainable systematic changes that make a difference. She remains dedicated and passionate for the field of education. She takes pride in fostering supportive, safe, caring, and challenging learning environments for all learners.

Her versatile career of over 24 years has provided her with extensive experiences. Ms. Avila has taught various grades at the elementary, middle school, and college level in both public and private schools. Additionally she has provided counseling, conducted professional development, implemented district initiatives, presented at conferences such as the National Conference for Teaching Mathematics, The BOCES Data Warehouse, Leading and Learning Conference, as well as supervised staff as an assistant principal, principal, and a national director of professional development.

As a program coordinator for the Connecticut Center for School Change and facilitator for the LEAD CT Turnaround Principal Program, Ms. Avila supported the improvement of Connecticut’s schools and districts by developing leadership capacity. She facilitated community of practice sessions focused on leadership competencies, works individually with principals and central office staff to address school improvement for all. Conducting onsite visits provides insight on current school practices and fosters rich reflective  discussions regarding change.

As a principal and assistant principal in diverse communities in Westchester, New York, and New York City, Ms. Avila created caring and rigorous learning environments where all children, staff, parents and community members were valued. She truly believes “It takes a village to raise a child.” All community members analyzed data to inform and differentiate their practice, utilized tiered intervention models, embraced change, integrated technology, promoted critical thinking and life-long learning. Everyone shared their expertise and consistently participated in meaningful discussions regarding teaching and learning.

As the NYC Regional Director for School Leaders Network, Ms. Avila provided a dynamic learning environment that support school leaders in increasing their leadership capacity in order to become highly effective change agents that implement sustainable systematic change that impacts teaching and learning. In working with diverse groups of School Leaders (principals and assistant principals), she utilized differentiated approaches to facilitate monthly learning cohorts that focus on current research based practice and leadership development. School Leaders collaboratively problem solve, identify a focus and transform their school practices by creating a shared vision, positive school climate, cultivate leadership, manage systems and data, improve instruction, develop and monitor strategic planning that incorporate the process of change.

While the National Director of Professional Development at McGraw-Hill for Time to Know, Ms. Avila successfully implemented the Time to Know program across the Nation, in public schools, charter schools, private schools, and in several schools in the Archdioceses. Time to Know provided a one-to-one computing program that utilized a digital teaching platform to deliver a comprehensive curriculum. This change transformed instructional practices into the 21st century for teachers, students, parents, and administrators. Continued strategic planning, principal mentoring, coaching, collaboration, and data analysis positively impacted student achievement for over thousands of students.

EDUCATION

She attended Boston University and Hunter College for her undergraduate degree. In 1993 she obtained a Masters in Administration in Education from Bank Street College and a Masters in Social Work from Fordham University.