“I am a seasoned educational leader, with professional leadership experiences in both urban and
suburban districts, who continues to be passionate about positively impacting the lives of students, fellow
administrators, teachers, support staff, parents/caregivers and communities at large. I find it an honor to
work in the field of education, which ultimately serves children. Children inspire me every single day. I
am grateful for my continued opportunities to learn, lead, inspire, build relationships, think creatively and
strategically, collaborate with others, foster results, and ultimately make a difference for all.”

CYNTHIA E. RITCHIE

 Education
Doctorate Program in Education, Northeastern University, Boston (Fall, 2017 to present)
PreK-3 Leadership Academy, University of Connecticut (July 2015-June 2016)
Superintendent of Schools Certificate Program, Central Connecticut State University, 2012
Sixth Year Degree, Remedial Reading and Language Arts Consultant, Southern Connecticut
State University, 2000
Sixth Year Degree, Education Leadership, University of Hartford, 1997
Master’s Degree in Education, Curriculum and Instruction (with a focus on Gifted
Education), University of Connecticut, 1996
Bachelor’s Degree, Elementary Education, Central Connecticut State University, 1994

Certifications
Superintendent of Schools (093)
Intermediate Administrator and Supervision (092)
Language Arts Consultant (097)
Remedial Reading and Remedial Language Arts (102)
Elementary Teacher (K-6) (013)
Middle School Teacher (4-8) (006)

Professional Committees and Memberships
Member of Women’s Leadership Committee
Member of the Early Education Committee
Member of Learning Forward
Member of the National Head Start Association
Member of NAESP (National Association for Elementary School Principals)
Member of ASCD (Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development)
Member of CAS (Connecticut Association of Schools)
Member of the International Reading Association (IRA)
Appointed member of Connecticut’s Planning Commission for Education (2015)
Committee Memberships within East Hartford Public Schools:
*Serves on the district’s Instructional Practice Team
*Serves on the district’s Professional Development and Evaluation Committee
*Serves on the district’s Data Team Committee

 *Leads the elementary-level Instructional Leadership team
*Serves on the Family Engagement Committee (sponsored by the Hartford Foundation)
*Serves on the town’s Readiness Council
*Served on the Equity and Diversity Leadership Team (Cohort 1 2016-2017)

Professional Leadership Experience
Assistant Superintendent of Schools, Elementary Level, East Hartford Public Schools
in East Hartford, CT (July, 2014 – present)
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Serves as a senior leader on the Superintendent’s Cabinet team
Assists the Superintendent in formulating and communicating goals and objectives for
the district and assists principals with developing these for their individual schools
Assists with the development and monitors the implementation of district and schoollevel improvement plans
Supervises and evaluates administrators who are district-level instructional leaders and
school principals
Oversees nine elementary schools with various profiles: Early Childhood Learning
Center (Preschool); STEM (Science-Technology-Engineering-Math) theme school;
International Baccalaureate (IB) theme school; Commissioner’s Network identified
school; bi-lingual identified schools and traditional neighborhood schools
Coordinates the development, revision and implementation of curriculum for all content
areas
Monitors student achievement and leads staff to make use of data to drive their
instructional decisions; participates in district and school-based data team meetings
Serves as leaders for school-based Instructional Content Specialists, Instructional
Coaches, Intervention Coaches and Gifted and Talented teachers.
Assists the Superintendent and Cabinet team to develop, implement and monitor district
and school level budgets
Oversees district’s Head Start Program Manager and supports all of the district’s early
childhood initiatives
Oversees and supports the Coordinator of Out-Of-School Programs; assist with planning
for and managing each of the district’s after-school enrichment programs
Works alongside fellow administrators to identify and coordinate professional
development programs for administrators, teachers and non-certified staff
Writes, monitors and prepares grants (and grant reports) that support the district’s and
schools’ goals, objectives and improvement plans
Communicates regularly with parents and members of the community
Develops collaborative partnerships with businesses, industries, institutes of higher
education and private sectors
Works alongside Cabinet team and fellow administrators to support all district
initiatives: student achievement, race, equity and diversity awareness, social-emotional
development, restorative practices, student attendance, teacher growth, development and
leadership opportunities, family engagement partnerships and parent education

 academies

Director of Student Achievement, Academic Programs and Professional
Development, Salem School District in Salem, Connecticut (July 2013 – June 2014)
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Lead coordinator of district-wide leadership of goals and initiatives
Assisted Superintendent with development of district and school budgets
Lead coordinator of the district’s SEED Teacher and Administrator Evaluation Systems
Lead coordinator of district-level testing; including CMT, Smarter Balanced, etc.
Chair of the district’s Technology Committee
Liaison between Salem and East Lyme; cooperating districts
Oversight of Staff Development for certified and non-certified employees
Served as Parent/Community Engagement Coordinator
Leader of TEAM-Beginning teacher support program
Leader of Common Core curriculum development & unit planning
Chair of Professional Learning and Evaluation Committee
Chair of the district’s Curriculum Committees
Grant and report writer for the district

Principal,

Salem School, Salem School District, Connecticut (September 2009 - July

2013)
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Leader of all aspects of the instructional programs, facility, students and faculty
Collaborated with 92 faculty and staff members daily to meet the needs of all students
Nominated by students and staff as “Salem’s Principal of the Year 2010”
Reallocated resources to provide equitable education opportunities for all students
Led the district’s SRBI Committee to align staff and services to students
Served as member of the district building committee for a six million dollar building
project
Worked with teachers to integrate standards and district literacy benchmarks in all
curricula areas
Employed leadership and supervisory skills to establish and maintain an effective
learning climate.
Improved communication through the development of a home-school partnership
Chair of Planning and Placement Team meetings (PPTs)
Chair of the Academic Task Force to develop a revised standards based report card for
grades K-8
Chair of the Evaluation Task Force to revise the teacher and administrator evaluation
plans
Served as member of the District’s Strategic Planning team

Teaching Experience

 University of New Haven, at Mitchell College New London, CT Adjunct Professor. I taught
graduate courses in literacy (PreK-8) to adults who were earning a Master’s Degree in education.
(2005-2010)
Old Saybrook Middle School, Old Saybrook, CT Building Level Specialist/Language Arts
Department Head for grades 4-8. August, 2008 to September, 2009. I was the chair of the
building-level Language Arts department. I oversaw the development, alignment and revision of
district level curriculum and assessment procedures. I organized the school’s language arts
budget and was in charge of ordering supplies. I monitored students’ school wide data
(including Gifted and Talented, SRBI and EL) and collaborated with the elementary school and
high school to align our instructional practices to meet the needs of students. I delivered inservice workshops, in the areas of literacy, to all staff during after school meetings.
Old Saybrook Middle School, Old Saybrook , CT Remedial Reading/Language Arts
Consultant for grades 4 - 8. Fall 2000 to fall, 2009. Focused on differentiated instruction
including: Gifted and Talented, SRBI and ELL student needs. In addition to my administrative
leadership duties, I also worked directly with students. I evaluated students both formally and
informally, developed and modified curriculum and differentiated my instruction to meet their
needs. I arranged students according to reading and language development levels and created
tiered intervention goals and support schedules. In addition, I developed and presented inservice workshops on current topics focused on teaching and learning for teachers, staff and
parents. I looked for creative ways to promote a love of learning among all.
Old Saybrook Middle School, Old Saybrook, CT Grade 4: Fall 1998 to June 2000. I cotaught in an Inclusionary-Model co-taught fourth grade classroom, consisting of 24 students,
with a range of academic and social abilities. I planned, implemented and evaluated a multitude
of educational activities, which corresponded best with students’ various learning styles, state
curriculum requirements and IEP goals and objectives.
Eli Whitney School, Enfield, Connecticut Grade 5: Fall 1996-June 1998. I taught all subjects
to a self-contained class of fifth grade students, incorporating multiple instructional groupings,
strategies and opportunities for hands-on learning.
Eli Whitney School, Enfield, Connecticut Kindergarten: Fall, 1994-June, 1996. I taught two
sessions of half-day kindergarten through a theme-based approach, which incorporated a variety
of opportunities for instruction and practice in literacy, numeracy, art, music, and social skills
throughout.

 Professional References and Portfolio Available By Request