Assistant Principal Appointed At Turn Of River Middle School

STAMFORD, CT — Stamford Public Schools recently announced the appointment of a new assistant principal at Turn of River Middle School, a few weeks after a new principal was hired.

Elvonni L. Capozziello started his new role as assistant principal on July 29. He will report to Principal Mark Bonasera, who was hired in early July.

The hirings came weeks after parents made impassioned pleas to SPS administration and the Stamford Board of Education to improve the culture and safety at TOR, following a school year that saw reports of bullying, fights and threats.

"Elvonni’s commitment to creating culturally responsive school communities and his experience using data to inform interventions that promote student success will be a valuable addition to Turn of River Middle School and Stamford Public Schools," said Superintendent of Stamford Public Schools Dr. Tamu Lucero in a news release. "Together with Dr. Bonasera and Mr. Escobar, Mr. Capozziello will be instrumental in the school climate work at Turn of River, and we believe his insights and experience in other urban school communities will positively inform that process."

The assistant principal role was filled through a competitive hiring process that attracted candidates from within and outside SPS, the school district said.

Committees of teachers, staff, parents, and community members conducted the first two rounds of interviews, and candidates who moved on from the first two rounds interviewed with TOR administrators and the associate superintendent for middle schools, while the final candidate also met with Lucero.

Capozziello began his teaching career at Bronx Aerospace High School where he was a co-teacher of English language arts and socialsStudies working primarily with English learners and students with IEPs. He later worked in a similar role at Enrico Fermi School, which is part of Yonkers Public Schools.

He was named assistant principal of Milner Middle School in Hartford in July 2022. There, Capozziello led the attendance intervention team and school safety meetings, coordinated the work of community partners that provided services to Milner students, and led a Saturday school for students who needed additional support, SPS said.

Capozziello, who is trilingual in English, Spanish, and Italian, has a bachelor’s degree in history from Sacred Heart University, a master’s in education with bilingual extension from the City University of New York, and a master’s degree in school administration from the Bank Street College of Education. He is certified in K-12 Intermediate Administration or Supervision (CT 092).