Connecticut Urban Consortium

In 2003, the New Haven Public Schools convened a group of history educators from
the New Haven, New London and Waterbury school districts, university faculty,
museum and historic site educators and state officials. Their goal was to plan a
Teaching American History program that would serve the needs of three of the
state's most academically challenged school districts.

Through the leadership of the New Haven Public Schools, The Connecticut Urban Consortium received a three-year grant from the U.S. Department of Education's
Teaching American History program.

The purpose of the Consortium program is to provide professional development for middle and high school teachers of American History that is rich in content and encourages teachers to introduce new instructional resources and strategies in their classrooms.

The Consortium facilitates professional leadership and collegiality among participat-
ing teachers, and it forms partnerships with a wide variety of history-rich organizations
that serve the New Haven, New London and Waterbury regions of the Connecticut.

The Consortium School Districts
A triangle of challenge and hope
The cities of New Haven, New London and Waterbury form a triangle of dramatically

changing social and economic dynamics. New Haven and New London form the base
of the triangle along the shoreline of Long Island Sound. Waterbury is to the northwest,
at the apex of the triangle. Each of these cities has an extraordinary heritage in shaping
the nation’'s maritime and industrial economies. The founders of these cities played
significant roles during the European settlement of the continent, and during the
American Revolution and Civil War.

The early cultural heritage of these regions includes Algonquian tribes of native peoples,
English colonists, and Africans brought to the colony as slaves.

From the late 1800's to the present, the Consortium cities have evolved as multicultural
centers. African Americans from southern states were attracted to Connecticut by a
robust industrial economy and hopes of greater equality. European, Irish, Caribbean,
Middle Eastern and Asian populations settled here, some recruited by labor-hungry
manufacturers and developers, others escaping persecution, and all hopeful of a better
economic future

The teachers in the New Haven, New London and Waterbury school districts are on the
front line of transforming their students into leaders in a civil society that can meet the
challenges of economic and social upheaval in their communities. These teachers
recognize that if their students are to experience themselves as participants in an
emerging America, they first need to experience themselves as connected to the
American experience—its aspirations, failures, compromises and moments of glory.

Consortium Management Team, Staff, Faculty and Partners
 

New Haven Public Schools
 

Dr. Reginald Mayo, Superintendent

Dr. Eleanor Osborne, Associate Superintendent

* Willie Freeman, Curriculum Supervisor,
Consortium Management Team

Voice: 203.946.2342, E-mail: willie.freeman@new-haven.k12.ct.us

54 Meadow Street, New Haven CT 06519-1783

New London Public Schools
 

Dr. Chris Clouet, Superintendent

*Doreen Fuller, Associate Superintendent,
ConsortiumManagement Team

Voice: 860.444.3180, E-mail: fullerd@newlondon.org

134 Williams Street, New London CT 06320-5295

Waterbury Public Schools




Dr. David Snead, Superintendent

Dr. Paul V. Sequeara, Asst. Supt.

*Robert Johnston, Curriculum Supervisor,
Consortium Management Team

Voice: 203.573.5029,
E-mail:jmacary@waterbury.k12.ct.us

30B Church Street, Waterbury CT 06702

Program Staff and Faculty
 

Kathleen A. Hunter, Program Director and
Instructional Coach for New London

Voice: 860.446.8801, E-mail:
hunterka@sbcglobal.net

132 Thames Street, Groton CT 06340

Richard Alan Gerber, Ph.D., Academic Advisor
Department of History, Southern Connecticut StateUniversity

Email: gerberr1@myscsu.southernct.edu

Marianne deMiquel Kennedy, Ph.D., Program Evaluator

Department of Assessment and Planning, Southern Connecticut State University

Email: kennedym4@southernct.edu

Peter Herndon, Instructional Coach for New Haven

Email:  pnhteach@sbcglobal.net
 
Rocco Donofrio, Instructional Coach for Waterbury

Email: rocco_d_donofrio@sbcglobal.net
 
Amy Wallace, Instructional Coach

New London Public Schools

Mary Pat Knowlton, Research Associate

Education Coordinator, Wethersfield Historical Society

Email: mpknowlton@cox.net

Jon Purmont, Ph.D., Program Faculty

Department of History, Southern Connecticut State University

Email: purmontj1@southernct.edu

Carol diPietro, MEd, Program Faculty

Email: di_pietro_a@sbcglobal.net

Consortium Partners
 

Charter Oak State College, www.cosc.edu

Connecticut College, www.conncoll.edu

Gilder Lehrman Center, Yale University,
www.yale.edu/glc

Mattatuck Museum, www.mattatuckmuseum.org

Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation,
www.pequotmuseum.org

New Haven Colony Society, 114 Whitney Avenue,
New Haven, CT 06510, (203) 562-4183.

New London Historical Society,
www.newlondonhistoricalsociety.org

Southern Connecticut State University,
http://www.southernct.edu

Consortium Participating Teachers


New Haven


Gary Aurora, Hyde Leadership School

John Buell, Sound School High School

Melanie Carder, Nathan Hale Middle School

Frank Castonzo, New Haven Academy

Jill Cipriano, Betsy Ross Middle School

Lisa DeRiu, Betsy Ross Middle School

Kevin Daley, Sound School High School

Stephen L. Dest, Wilbur Cross High School

Nicolle Fefferman, Coop High School

Roland Foerester, Hillhouse Armory High School

William J. Garraty, Hill House High

Judy Goodrich, Troup Magnet Middle School

Candace Henderson, Hill House High School

Brian Kelehan, Hyde Leadership Academy

John Laub, Cooperative Arts High School

Marie McDermott, Edgewood Middle School

Al Meadows, Wilbur Cross High School

Michael Moore, Troupe Magnet School

Megan Nordello

Thomas O’Cconnor, Wilbur Cross Middle School

Joan Rapczynski, Wilbur Cross High School

Gary Ruzbasan, CT Scholar Program

Ralph Russo, Wilbur Cross High School

Robert Sobolisky, Hill House High School

Khalil Quotap, Middle School
 
New London


Sherry Appleby, Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School

Dawn Davis, New London High School

Stephen Davis, New London High School
Marianne McNallen, Bennie Dover Jackson MiddleSchool

Mark Mangelinkx, Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School

John Martin, New London High School

Erin Sebastianelli, Bennie Dover Jackson Middle School
 
Waterbury


Sarah Aubertin, West Side Middle School

Kelly Casey, West Side Middle School

Stacy Clark, West Middle School

Jahana Flemming, Kennedy High School

Paula Forman, Westside Middle School

Michael Ieronimo, Arts Magnet School

Sequoia Johnson, Westside Middle School

David Kalach, Kennedy High School

Paul Kieffer, Crosby High School

Evelyn Mendoza, Westside Middle School

Peter McCasland, Wilby High School

Lisa Mason, North End Middle School

Pranvera Mullai, Westside Middle School

Kyle Ondrush, Arts Magnet School

Michele Pizzuto, Arts Magnet School

Gregg Pugliese, Kennedy High School

Kristen Rosenberry, West Side Middle School

Julian Saavedra, West Side Middle School

Michael Sullivan, High School

William James Walton, Wilby High School

Jeff Wihbey, Crosby High School
 
For more information on the New Haven, New London and Waterbury school districts, visit the districts’web sites.