MONROE, CT — Corey Evans, an Oxford High School English teacher who led her department there since 2010, was recently named secondary instructional leader for English Language Arts for Monroe Public Schools, replacing Jeff Seymour, who is retiring in June.
Evans will oversee curriculum, instruction, and assessment for ELA for grades 6-12 and support Monroe’s ELL (English Language Learners) program system wide. The Board of Education approved the hire at its meeting on May 16.
“Monroe cares about teaching and learning, period,” Evans said of what sparked her interest in applying for a position in the Monroe school district. “They make decisions that forward learning at whatever expense.”
Evans said she was “struck by the agreed upon sentiment that students and district faculty members come together to ensure the greater good of each family.”
She was chosen from among a pool of 40 applicants. The hiring committee — consisting of three administrators, two teachers, a member of the school board and a parent — completed an initial screening of 10 candidates, six of whom were invited to full interviews, narrowing the field to two finalists.
Evans stood out due to her extensive experience with professional development, pedagogical knowledge of both middle and high school, and her approach to supervision and evaluation, according a press release issued by the school district.
In his reference letter, Robert Schumann, principal of Oxford High School, wrote that “(a)s an instructional leader, Corey’s experience and expertise are unparalleled in our building and district…(she) simply works to make the Oxford Public Schools the best educational experience for all students.”
In the coming weeks, Evans will visit Masuk and Jockey Hollow to meet the ELA staff and the entire administrative team in preparation for the 22-23 school year.
Evans has been an educator for 18 years, teaching at Waterbury’s Kennedy High School for two years, before heading to Oxford High School for the last 16.
Aside from being Oxford High School’s department chair of English, Evans took on the added responsibility of serving as district literacy coordinator in 2020, while teaching classes from ninth grade through AP English Language and Composition.
She earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College, her Master’s in education from Fairfield University, and her 6th year degree in educational leadership from Southern Connecticut State University.
