2 New Principals Hired In Guilford As New School Year Begins

GUILFORD, CT — As the new school year starts on Thursday, Aug. 29, there will be new principals at Calvin Leete and Melissa Jones schools. Earlier this summer, the Guilford Board of Education appointed Kenneasha Sloley as the next principal of Calvin Leete Elementary School and Michele Han as the next principal of Melissa Jones Elementary School.

Superintendent Paul Freeman stated in a news release, “We look forward to having Michele and Kenneasha join our team. Both are proven leaders with experience developing inclusive school climates that support learning for all students.”

Michele Han joins the school district with ten years of experience as an elementary school principal in New London at Harbor Elementary School and most recently at Winthrop STEM Elementary Magnet School. Prior to her principalships, Han was a literacy coach at Harbor Elementary.

Kenneasha Sloley brings her experience as a principal in Hartford, initially at the Naylor/CCSU Leadership Academy for grades pre-k – 8, and for the last three years at the Dr. Michael D. Fox Elementary School.

The school district conducted an "extensive search" to fill the administrative vacancies netting in 58 potential candidates from Massachusetts to Florida. The search process included input from parents and staff at each school in the form of electronic surveys and public meetings with Freeman to discuss the qualifications believed to be important in a school principal.

A representative interview committee was formed that included faculty, parents, administration and two Board of Education member. Finalists identified by the committee were further interviewed in depth by a panel of administrators.