Dr. Chad Ellis has been officially named the principal of Bristow Middle School by West Hartford Superintendent of School Tom Moore.

By Ronni Newton

West Hartford Superintendent of Schools Tom Moore announced Thursday that Dr. Chad Ellis has been officially appointed principal at Bristow Middle School.

It’s been just about a year since Ellis was named interim principal when Bristow’s former principal, Steven Cook, left the district to become human resources director of ACES, a regional education service center in southern Connecticut.

“It is hard to believe that it was a year ago almost to the day when we first met with the PTO and the Bristow staff to begin the development of a leadership profile which would help us in the recruitment of Bristow’s next principal,” Moore said in a letter emailed to the Bristow community Thursday. “Here it is twelve months later, and as we know, everything has changed. Through all of challenges we have faced, our staff and leadership team at Bristow made sure that the one constant was a focus on what was best for our students, not just academically, but socially and emotionally.”

“Dr. Ellis’ problem-solving skills, communication, collaborative nature, and high expectations make him an excellent match for the engaged and supportive community of Bristow Middle School,” Moore said when he appointed Ellis to the interim role last year.

Moore said he believed Ellis was the right person to bring the school community through the pandemic, and will continue to be the right person to lead Bristow into the future.

“Over the last year, Dr. Ellis has shown himself to be a leader who really enjoys his time with students, welcoming them off the bus in the morning and thanking them for their efforts at the end of each day,” Moore said. “He is driven to see that his Bristow students are successful and prepared for high school. Chad is, above all, a good and decent person who communicates well, is visible for staff and parents, and embraces the diversity and equity focus of West Hartford Public Schools.”

Before joining the Bristow leadership team, Ellis supervised the Social Studies Department in West Hartford, and was previously a high school principal and assistant principal. He has multiple degrees from the University of Connecticut: a B.S. in history education, an M.A. in curriculum and instruction, a 6th year, and a Ph.D. in educational administration.

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