New Canaan Public Schools Names New HR Director

From New Canaan Schools: Dr. Bryan Luizzi, New Canaan Public Schools Superintendent, announced the appointment of Darlene Pianka as the new Director of Human Resources. Ms. Pianka replaces Gary Kass, who is retiring after 44 years as an educator and seven years as NCPS Director of HR.

Ms. Pianka is currently NCPS Assistant Superintendent of Pupil and Family Services, a position she has held for the past thirteen years, and is a member of the NCPS Cabinet. She will start her new position, also a Cabinet post, at the end of the school year.

“Darlene Pianka brings knowledge and experience to her new position,” said Dr. Luizzi. “She is a well known and highly respected figure throughout the district and the community, and we thank her for the admirable work she’s done in special education and its related fields. We are extremely fortunate to have Dar accept this position, and we look forward to the positive impact she will have district-wide in her new role.”

As Assistant Superintendent of Pupil and Family Services, Ms. Pianka is a district level administrator with a thorough understanding of district recruitment, interviewing and hiring processes, and the latest HR technology systems. She has oversight of the hiring of all special education, clinical and related services staff in the district and participates in every administrative screening, interview and hire in the district. As a Cabinet member, she is involved in various personnel issues, and she brings a comprehensive understanding of all other functions of the NCPS HR department to her new position.

Ms. Pianka served as an Assistant Principal for New Canaan High School from 2002-2006, with responsibilities that included teacher hiring and evaluation. Prior to this, she was Acting Assistant Principal at Darien High School, and she also held various special education positions there, including Special Education Department Coordinator. She’s been a special education teacher at the high school, middle school, and elementary school levels.

For New Canaan Public Schools, Ms. Pianka supervises special education programming in all schools from Pre-K through the district’s LAUNCH Program, and related services, such as occupational, physical and speech therapy, nursing, and clinical services that include school psychology, social work and guidance. She ensures appropriate programming and review of outplacement and oversees grants management, budget and state reporting. She directs a staff of three other special education administrators. Ms. Pianka is a member of the National Association of Secondary School Principals and a member of the Council for Exceptional Children and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. She received her BA in Special Education for Southern CT State University, her MA in Professional Improvement from Fairfield University, and a Sixth Year Educational Leadership degree, from UCONN’s Administrators Preparation Program.

Image via New Canaan Schools