|
|
Ms. Adela Jorge Ferguson became Principal of Roberto Clemente Leadership Academy for Global Studies in New Haven, CT in November, 2023. She is formerly the Supervisor of Bilingual/ESOL Education for the Waterbury Public Schools, a district where she spent over 25 years of her career. In this role, she ensured district compliance with local and federal mandates pertaining to English Learners, including the acquisition and management of federal and state grants and the administration of the annual English Language Proficiency assessment to the district’s approximate 3100 ELs. She also developed. coordinated and implemented district-wide professional development in best practices for teaching English Learners, including second language acquisition, differentiation, Sheltered Instruction, and the alignment of the Connecticut English Language Proficiency Standards with Connecticut Core Standards.
Adela is a skilled urban educator with over 25 years of teaching and leading experience. Since 1995, she has served as a Bilingual teacher, Vice Principal, Master Mentor, and Curriculum Supervisor. As a Bilingual teacher, she used her personal experiences as a Bilingual student to create safe spaces where children could learn and grow while benefiting from classroom practices that removed language barriers and provided equitable access to quality education. During her tenure as a teacher, she earned various degrees, including a M. Ed in Elementary Education from the University of Hartford, and a 6th year degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision from Sacred Heart University.
In 2004, Adela became Vice-Principal of Bucks Hill Elementary School, where she dedicated her time to ensuring parents felt welcomed in the school, students received linguistically and culturally responsive education, and teachers felt supported as they developed the necessary skills to effectively teach diverse students. In 2007, she was promoted to the position of Supervisor of the Bilingual/ESOL Education Department, where she has furthered efforts to provide English Learners with talented and highly qualified personnel.
Adela is a passionate advocate for providing all children with equitable opportunities for success by ensuring access to a high quality education. One of her greatest accomplishments is supporting potential teacher candidates as they navigate the process of attaining Bilingual/TESOL teacher certification. While this particular certification area is the number one teacher shortage area in Connecticut, her efforts led to Waterbury Public Schools successfully hiring 33 new Bilingual/ESOL certified teachers since 2015. She was also featured on WNPR as a Bilingual Teacher Recruitment and Development Expert.
Adela is deeply invested in promoting equity in educational systems, and is devoted to building partnerships that lead to positive outcomes for students, educators, families and the community. She has served as a member of the Core Planning Group of the English Language Learners Alliance for the Regional Education Laboratory, North East and Islands, as well as contributed to the development of the Connecticut Seal of Bi-literacy, and the writing of the Connecticut English Language Proficiency (CELP) Standards. She recently served as the First Co-chair of the CT Administrators of Programs for English Language Learners (CAPELL) and currently serves on the Board of the Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury.
Adela has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Kellogg Lodge No. 5, Free and Accepted Masons’ 2018 Masonic Leadership and Trailblazer Award, the 2017 CT Parent Power’s Bilingual/Bicultural Leadership Hero Award, and the 2016 Greater Waterbury NAACP 30 Virtuous Women Award for Outstanding Service to the Community. In 2012, she received the Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury’s Coqui Award for Excellence in Education, as well as was the recipient of UConn’s REALL Fellowship. She is proud to have been selected as the 2016 City of Waterbury Puerto Rican Mayor for a Day honoree.
Adela is a skilled urban educator with over 25 years of teaching and leading experience. Since 1995, she has served as a Bilingual teacher, Vice Principal, Master Mentor, and Curriculum Supervisor. As a Bilingual teacher, she used her personal experiences as a Bilingual student to create safe spaces where children could learn and grow while benefiting from classroom practices that removed language barriers and provided equitable access to quality education. During her tenure as a teacher, she earned various degrees, including a M. Ed in Elementary Education from the University of Hartford, and a 6th year degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision from Sacred Heart University.
In 2004, Adela became Vice-Principal of Bucks Hill Elementary School, where she dedicated her time to ensuring parents felt welcomed in the school, students received linguistically and culturally responsive education, and teachers felt supported as they developed the necessary skills to effectively teach diverse students. In 2007, she was promoted to the position of Supervisor of the Bilingual/ESOL Education Department, where she has furthered efforts to provide English Learners with talented and highly qualified personnel.
Adela is a passionate advocate for providing all children with equitable opportunities for success by ensuring access to a high quality education. One of her greatest accomplishments is supporting potential teacher candidates as they navigate the process of attaining Bilingual/TESOL teacher certification. While this particular certification area is the number one teacher shortage area in Connecticut, her efforts led to Waterbury Public Schools successfully hiring 33 new Bilingual/ESOL certified teachers since 2015. She was also featured on WNPR as a Bilingual Teacher Recruitment and Development Expert.
Adela is deeply invested in promoting equity in educational systems, and is devoted to building partnerships that lead to positive outcomes for students, educators, families and the community. She has served as a member of the Core Planning Group of the English Language Learners Alliance for the Regional Education Laboratory, North East and Islands, as well as contributed to the development of the Connecticut Seal of Bi-literacy, and the writing of the Connecticut English Language Proficiency (CELP) Standards. She recently served as the First Co-chair of the CT Administrators of Programs for English Language Learners (CAPELL) and currently serves on the Board of the Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury.
Adela has been the recipient of numerous awards and recognitions, including the Kellogg Lodge No. 5, Free and Accepted Masons’ 2018 Masonic Leadership and Trailblazer Award, the 2017 CT Parent Power’s Bilingual/Bicultural Leadership Hero Award, and the 2016 Greater Waterbury NAACP 30 Virtuous Women Award for Outstanding Service to the Community. In 2012, she received the Hispanic Coalition of Greater Waterbury’s Coqui Award for Excellence in Education, as well as was the recipient of UConn’s REALL Fellowship. She is proud to have been selected as the 2016 City of Waterbury Puerto Rican Mayor for a Day honoree.
