Bio on Dr. List
Karen L. List, Ph.D., a talented educator who is nationally recognized for her skills in institutional leadership and innovation, became Superintendent of West Hartford Schools on July 1, 2009.
Prior to her selection as superintendent, Dr. List was the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in the West Hartford Schools, where she successfully established three full-day pre-kindergarten programs serving the needs of 4-year olds at Charter Oak, Smith and Webster Hill Schools. These programs are funded through state and private grants and tuition. The research is clear that pre-kindergarten programs made a huge difference for students of all demographics and reduce costs over time for remediation. Societal benefits are great as well as participants are more likely to be productive, contributing members of the community. Dr. List also instituted the Five-Year Curriculum Review and Renewal process in the West Hartford schools, which has significantly improved curricular and instructional alignment and coherence. In keeping with her long- held philosophy that well-prepared students succeed academically, Dr. List helped spearhead an International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Program at the Charter Oak Academy, to enrich the magnet school program. West Hartford is in the planning stages of expanding the IB program to the secondary schools. Another rich offering instituted during her tenure has been Spanish language learning for pre-kindergarten through grade 5 students.
Dr. List began her career as a K-12 art educator in Smithtown, N.Y. She accepted a position as an art teacher and arts administrator for K-12 in the West Hartford Public Schools in 1982. Recognizing her leadership and organizational skills, the Superintendent appointed Dr. List as principal of Norfeldt School. During her tenure there, the U.S. Department of Education awarded the school status as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. She subsequently became principal of Webster Hill School, then stepped in to lead the new Florence E. Smith School for Science, Math and Technology in its inaugural years, a time during which the U.S. Department of Education also awarded the Smith School status as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence.
Dr. List was recently named the University of Connecticut, Neag School of Education 2009 Outstanding School Administrator of the Year by the Alumni Association. She has worked with the Harvard University Graduate School of Education Principals’ Center since 1998, supporting the professional development of principals from across the globe and is an adjunct professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the University of Connecticut.
She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Kansas, a master’s degree in Education from Queens College, NY, and her doctorate in Curriculum, Supervision, and Gifted Education from the University of Connecticut. While studying at UCONN, she was a J. S. Noyes Fellow and recipient of the John C. Gowan Scholarship for Outstanding Graduate Studies in Research.