New Haven Educators:

With deep emotion and appreciation for our collective work on behalf of New Haven students
and families, I write to share the news that the Board of Education and I agreed tonight to end
my contract early this fall. See our joint statement below.
As I share this news, I am proud of the many accomplishments this education community has
achieved together over the last seven years since I arrived in New Haven and over the last
three years since I became Superintendent. These accomplishments include: our national
landmark work in professionalizing and enhancing the role of teachers; 17 percentage point
gains in graduation and parallel expansions of college going and college persistence; and
deliberate improvements in engagement and learning for our youngest students, our most
disengaged students, and our historically challenged schools. The statistics are meaningful to
me because I see individual student faces and futures behind every one the numbers.
There are, of course, many challenges that remain in New Haven, which I have been eager to
address. However, the City of New Haven - particularly the students and families who rely
most on a strong public schools - deserve a school district where the adults are collaborating
and pulling in the same direction, with a common vision and approach to education. I have
offered to end my contract early to provide the Board the opportunity to seek new leadership
for the district, who I hope will understand and build on our foundation of collaboration,
growth, and equity.
I look forward both to my future, and to see the future successes of this district. Thank you
for all the work we have done together and all that I have learned from you. Keep rising.
Garth

JOINT STATEMENT
The New Haven Board of Education and Mr. Garth Harries have mutually agreed that Mr.
Harries employment as Superintendent of Schools for the New Haven Public Schools will end
this fall, with a target of November 1, 2016 depending on the Boards appointment of an
interim and the facilitation of a smooth leadership transition. The Board of Education will
announce the appointment of an interim superintendent as soon as possible, and it will soon
appoint a committee to launch and conduct a search for the new Superintendent.
The Board of Education thanks Mr. Harries for his service to the New Haven school
community. During his tenure as Superintendent, Mr. Harries promoted student learning
through a number of initiatives, including strengthening of early grade learning, expanding
emphasis on restorative practices and other dimensions of social emotional learning and
physical health, deepening the roles and opportunities for teacher collaboration and leadership,
and implementing an intense focus on the most disengaged students and historically challenged
schools. Through this and other work, the district has seen gains in graduation, college going,

and smarter balanced test scores as well as an increase in enrollment and balanced
budgets. Mr. Harries and the Board of Education are committed to assuring a smooth
transition of leadership to assure that the outstanding work of the staff and students of the New
Haven Public Schools will continue.