The Norwich Board of Education and Superintendent Dr. Kristen Stringfellow have mutually parted ways after being placed on leave in September of 2023.
Stringfellow officially resigned over a year after being put on leave following results of a climate survey that showed concerns with district leadership.
The Norwich school board launched an investigation into personnel complaints. A climate survey conducted by a teachers’ union revealed that nearly 100% of teachers in Norwich feared retaliation if they spoke up about workplace issues.
In a statement provided by the Board of Education, it states that Stringfellow and the board "jointly have agreed to a resolution of matters concerning Dr. Stringfellow's employment."
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"Both the Board and Dr. Stringfellow believe that it is in their mutual best interest to part ways, so that Dr. Stringfellow can move on professionally and serve elsewhere, and so that the Board can engage new leadership," the Board of Education said in a statement.
Stringfellow's resignation took effect on Jan. 1. The Board of Education said Stringfellow will receive salary and benefits owed to her contractually for the remainder of the current school year. However, she will not receive compensation for the rest of her contract.
"The Board thanks Dr. Stringfellow for her contributions to Norwich Public Schools. These contributions have included restoring sports and clubs for students, reinstating the School Resource Officer program, leading the district through the COVID-19 pandemic, and modernizing and improving administrative departments," the Board of Education said.
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The investigation remains incomplete, without any findings or conclusions due to the complexity of the matters involved, according to the Board of Education.
Teachers and community members had been calling for change. Between June and September 2023, 160 teachers left. That amount is approximately half of the teacher population.
The Board of Education named Susan Lessard as the interim superintendent in 2023. She was the Stanton Elementary School principal.
