During Women’s History Month, AFSA is featuring profiles of some of our outstanding women school leaders.
Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Principal Jessica Fitzgerald grew up primarily in Pembroke Pines, Broward County, Florida, a highly diverse community that later proved invaluable in her work with Hartford Public Schools. Her family was culturally Italian and deeply Catholic, and as an only child, she appreciated early exposure to diverse communities.
Her family returned to Middletown when she was in middle school, and she enrolled in Catholic school. Her mother, a devoted Catholic school teacher, became both a close influence and a source of inspiration for Fitzgerald’s career in education.
As an undergraduate, Fitzgerald initially planned to major in biology and English, with aspirations of becoming a doctor. However, after her first year of college biology, she realized science was not her strength and shifted her focus to secondary education with a concentration in English.
After earning her bachelor’s degree from Providence College, Fitzgerald joined the Providence Alliance for Catholic Teachers to pursue her master’s degree. During that time, she lived in a convent community and taught seventh and eighth grades at St. Mary’s School in New Bedford, Massachusetts.
“The convent where I lived for those two years was in Fall River,” she said. “It was fun because I got to live with four or five women who were very similar to me. No nuns.”
Fitzgerald met her husband, Ian, early in her time at Providence College, and the two have been together ever since. They have two children, Colin and Maria.
After earning her master’s degree, Fitzgerald became a full-time English teacher at St. Mary’s School in Providence. After two years, she returned to Connecticut to be closer to family and soon secured a position with Hartford Public Schools. As an English teacher at Pathways to Technology Magnet High School, she valued working in a diverse environment, where the student population was approximately 40% Black and 30% Hispanic. The school’s technology focus meant every student had a laptop, allowing her to incorporate digital skills directly into her English instruction.
She recalls that her students especially enjoyed classic literature and Shakespeare, including “Oedipus,” “Othello” and “Romeo and Juliet.” Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible” and James McBride’s “The Color of Water” were also popular.
Although she enjoyed teaching, Fitzgerald soon transitioned into leadership roles, first as an instructional coach and later as an assistant principal at Great Path Academy of Technology and Design.
“I had an incredible principal, David Goldblum, who helped me tremendously with the transition,” she said.
She remained connected to teaching as an adjunct instructor in the master’s program at Goodwin University in East Hartford.
As a new administrator balancing work and family, Fitzgerald credits her husband’s support as essential. Their children were 3 and 5 when she began her administrative career, and Ian, who worked from home, took on a central role in managing their daily routines.
In 2021, after earning her Doctor of Education degree, Fitzgerald was named principal of Great Path Academy. The interdistrict magnet school is located on the campus of CT State Manchester, where students can earn tuition-free college credit while accessing campus resources such as tutoring and library services.
“To be a successful principal, it’s important to have a vision you can execute,” she said. “Keep your eye on that vision. It helps to have a strong team because you have to delegate. And having mentors is very important.”
Fitzgerald continues to speak daily with Goldblum, nearly a decade after he first mentored her, and remains active with fellow union members in the Hartford Principals’ and Supervisors’ Association, AFSA Local 22.
Great Path Academy has earned the Merit School of Distinction Award from Magnet Schools of America for three consecutive years. Fitzgerald has also received the Janet Linton Leadership Award from the National Academy Foundation for her commitment to college and career readiness, as well as the Joanne Anderssonis-Reich Award for Excellence, a doctoral research honor recognizing her dissertation on urban secondary school teachers.
“I have a lot more work to do here,” she said. “I see myself here in the long term.”
Despite a demanding schedule, Fitzgerald makes time to read. Recent selections include “Theo of Golden” by Allen Levi, “The Berry Pickers” by Amanda Peters and “American Dirt” by Jeanine Cummins. Her favorite is “Klara and the Sun” by Kazuo Ishiguro, noting that she is particularly drawn to books that explore themes of artificial intelligence—an area she hopes to help her students better understand.
She also enjoys walking, riding her Peloton, attending fitness classes and kickboxing, though she acknowledges it can be difficult to balance everything alongside family and professional responsibilities.
Having Ian as a partner has made a significant difference, she said.
“Not all women with children are as lucky,” Fitzgerald said. “Hopefully, they can build a strong support system to help them succeed.”
