New Norwich Tech Principal Focused on Individual Student Needs

NORWICH — After 16 years of leadership from Nikitoula Menounos, Norwich Technical High School has a new principal.

Patricia King stepped into the role of principal at Norwich Tech Tuesday, having left her post as principal of Chaplin Elementary School.

“I’m thrilled to be coming to Norwich Tech,” King said. “I’m bringing my appreciation and love of career technical education, that’s why I became a teacher.”

Prior to her role as principal in Chaplin, King spent more than 17 years in career technical education as a teacher and administrator. She described her new opportunity as a culmination of her career goals and hard work.

“I remember taking a class in career technical education, and realizing it was the kind of teacher I wanted to be — taking classroom lessons paired with skills training, to lead students toward a career,” she said.

While King’s arrival marks the first change of guard at the technical school in more than a decade, she said she does not plan on making wholesale changes, but rather hopes to build upon the work of her predecessor.

“Dr. Menounos has done a tremendous job during her tenure at Norwich Tech,” King said.“I hope to continue that legacy, and keep the momentum she has built to make it a great school.”

“I hope to create a very student-centric atmosphere with a focus on individual student needs,” King continued.

Menounos left Norwich Tech this summer after being selected to serve as assistant superintendent of schools for the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System.

“This was my dream job, and the timing felt right,” Menounos said. “At Norwich Tech, my focus was teaching and learning, but now I’m doing that at the district level, promoting teaching and learning for the 17 schools in our district.”

Menounos said while she is happy in her new role, she will miss the direct interactions with faculty and students at Norwich Tech.

“I was principal there for 16 years, I had a great staff from teachers to maintenance. And I had great relationships with the parents,” Menounos said. “It’s the day-to-day interactions with students and faculty that I will miss the most.”

Menounos said she thinks King is the right person for the job, and believes she can continue to grow the school’s reputation as a leading technical and career learning center.

“Patricia King is going to do a tremendous job at Norwich Tech,” Menounos said. “My hope for her is to continue to lead the school forward. We feel it’s the strongest school in the district, and we believe she can continue with the school’s forward progress.”

CTEC’s Superintendent of Schools Jeffrey Wihbey said King’s experience as an administrator and in career technical education made her the most suitable candidate to replace Menounos.

″[King] has a great background in career technical education, and is an excellent administrator,” Wihbey said. “She rose to the top of a solid group of candidates.”

Wihbey said he hopes King continues to develop the school’s successful practices, but also finds ways to grow and improve. He said King should begin in her new role by listening to what students, faculty and staff have to say.

“Her entry plan should include a lot of listening, finding out what’s working, what is not working, and gleaning things that should be prioritized,” Wihbey said. “A good principal listens more than they talk at first, and comes in prepared to ask a lot of questions. I know Patricia King understands that.”

Originally Published in the Norwich Bulletin http://www.norwichbulletin.com/news/20181002/new-norwich-tech-principal-focused-on-individual-student-needs