Catch up on the year in Central news
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Dr. Daisy Torres Hill will begin her tenure as assistant dean of the School of Education at Central on Jan. 9.
Torres Hill brings 25 years of PK-12 experience as a teacher and district leader. She most recently served as the assistant superintendent of teaching and learning for Hartford Public Schools, where she managed PK–12 curriculum, instruction, and assessment. As assistant superintendent, Torres Hill co-designed the PK–8 Dual Language Academy at Dwight Bellizzi and led districtwide efforts that resulted in more than 800 students earning the Seal of Biliteracy, a distinction recognizing bilingualism and biliteracy on a student’s high school diploma and transcript.
A strong supporter of leadership development, Torres Hill also co-developed the Hartford Principal Leadership Academy and the Hartford Assistant Principal Leadership Academy — two “grow-your-own” programs designed to cultivate and retain diverse leadership talent. She also spearheaded innovative teacher recruitment initiatives, including the Paso a Paso program that brought 18 teachers from Puerto Rico to Hartford, and a visiting international teacher exchange program, in collaboration with the Connecticut State Department of Education, that welcomed educators from the Dominican Republic to diversify the district’s talent pipeline.
“Dr. Torres Hill is an exceptional educational leader,” said School of Education Dean John W. Dr. Barile. “We are thrilled to bring someone of her caliber to the School of Education, especially with her experience and connections to both the regional community and Connecticut State Department of Education.”
Torres Hill has also served in higher education as an adjunct professor, university student teaching supervisor, and a leadership coach. Her work has earned both local and national recognition, including the Outstanding Educator Leadership Award from the Connecticut Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents, the Curriculum Associates/Association of Latino Administrators and Superintendents $10,000 Scholarship, and the Above & Beyond Award by Read to a Child. She is also the author of a bilingual children’s book, “I'll See You on the Bridge.”
Torres Hill said, “I am deeply grateful and excited to join Dean Barile and the Central community in advancing the School of Education’s work to support student success and strengthen the educator pipeline. As a first-generation college graduate and bilingual educator, my life has been shaped by the power of public education, and it is an honor to help prepare those who will teach and inspire the next generation.”