New Principal Hired At Middle School In Enfield

ENFIELD, CT — A new principal has been hired to take over the helm at John F. Kennedy Middle School, the office of the superintendent announced Wednesday.

Dr. Andrew Berrios will begin working at the middle school soon; his official start date will be forthcoming, according to a written statement.

Robert Fenton has been serving as interim principal since the beginning of the current academic year.

A Bucks County, Penn. native, Berrios enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps after his high school graduation, and was assigned to 3rd Battalion 8th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. He was promoted to Sergeant in under three years of service, and was involved in various military operations during his four-year commitment.

Upon his honorable discharge, he returned to Philadelphia to pursue his education at Widener University, where he majored in History and minored in Education (B.A). He completed his studies in three years and secured a teaching position with the Chicopee (MA) Public Schools. He completed his Masters Degree (Educ. Admin.) at Westfield State University and secured a vice principal position with the Chicopee Public Schools.

Berrios served as a middle school vice principal for three years while gaining an Educational Specialist Degree (Ed.S.) from the College of Education at the University of Massachusetts. In Aug. 2012, he was hired as the principal of Smith Academy (7-12) with the Hatfield Public Schools. A year later, he was accepted to the Professional School Administrators Program (PSAP) offered by The Lynch School of Education at Boston College.

He successfully earned his Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) in May 2016. His research and dissertation were focused upon Organizational Learning Theory and District-level reform efforts.

His largest accomplishments as an instructional leader have been grounded in technology initiatives, redeveloping curriculum/assessment work, and refining systems/protocols to electronic platforms. School-based reform and developing collaborative systems are his leadership focus and passion, the statement read.

Photo credit: Enfield Public Schools

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