Life in the classroom: Marco Tirillo moves up at John Wallace Middle School

by Mark Jahne

Editor

Marco Tirillo didn’t have to walk far to move his belongings into his new office at John Wallace Middle School. His previous office was right next door.

He was recently promoted from assistant principal to principal of John Wallace after his predecessor Daniel Dias was promoted to an assistant superintendent’s position in the central office of the Newington Public Schools. The promotion was not a surprise, especially considering that this past year Tirillo, 44, was honored by the Connecticut Association of Schools as one of the three best assistant principals in the entire state.

“This is my ninth year in the district. When I was a teacher, I thought I would be a teacher for life,” he said. “I was thrilled at the opportunity to stay in Newington and continue my career. I was certainly grateful.”

He

n his younger days, Tirillo participated in the famous running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain. (submitted)

now oversees a school that has 60 certified faculty, a total of 100 staff, and more than 600 students. An immediate emphasis is to make sure there is plenty of communication with their families. He reflected on the differences between being the principal versus the assistant principal.

“There are a lot of differences. You don’t have as much interaction with the students” as the principal, Tirillo said. “There’s a lot of stuff going on. It’s been great. Everyone has been extremely supportive.”

He is part of the process to hire a new assistant principal.

“A lot of it is dealing with the social and emotional aspects. We went through a very large trauma-based incident,” he added. “It showed the resilience of educators and their ability to put students first.”

He is also focused upon academic achievement and culturally responsible pedagogy.

“We’re really working hard at closing the achievement gap. You want kids to be safe, heard and seen,” he added.

“My goal is to keep that progress going forward. I started my education career in Hartford. I taught for eight years at Classical Magnet School.”

He was a physical education and health teacher. That was followed by five years as assistant principal at the Hartford Public High School Nursing Academy, his first taste of education administration.

He majored in physical education with a minor in health at Springfield College, where he was on the wrestling team. He coached high school wrestling in Rocky Hill, Hartford and Newington.

Tirillo credits his high school physical education teacher George Kisluk with being his mentor and he chose to become a P.E. teacher himself. He earned his master’s degree from the Graduate Institute in Milford and his sixth-year certificate in educational leadership from Quinnipiac Univ

ersity.

Marco Tirillo is the new principal at John Wallace Middle School. (submitted)

“Mr. Tirillo has been a cornerstone of the JWMS community for nearly a decade, most recently serving as assistant principal. Throughout a rigorous interview process, Mr. Tirillo demonstrated a profound alignment with the NPS mission and vision,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Maureen Brummett said.

“He has articulated a clear roadmap for the future of Wallace, focusing on closing the achievement gap, advancing equitable discipline through restorative practices and elevating rigorous classroom engagement,” she added.

“He is widely known for a hands-on leadership style that fosters strong, authentic relationships with students, families and staff. Under his guidance, JWMS has seen the successful launch of the Student Diversity Committee and earned the prestigious “No Place for Hate” designation.”

“I was born in Hartford and grew up in Rocky Hill,” where he attended the public schools. Tirillo lives in Newington now with his wife Jennifer, the owner of Concentric Care and Wellness on Day Street.

They met in college and married in 2007. The couple has two children. He recalled dealing with challenges as a youth.

“My father passed away from lung cancer when I was in eighth grade,” Tirillo said.

He also tackled a challenge of a different kind as a younger man. Tirillo went to Pamplona, Spain, in 2005 and was among those the racing down the streets at the annual running of the bulls. It’s a risky proposition because runners can get trampled or gored, but he stayed ahead of the animals and made it to safety. NL