The following was compiled in part from a press release.
After 12 years as principal of Cider Mill School, Dr. Jennifer Falcone has announced she is resigning and taking a new position as the director of elementary education for the Darien Public Schools.
The Darien Board of Education voted Tuesday morning, July 22, to approve Falcone’s appointment to the Darien Public Schools.
Shortly thereafter, Wilton Public Schools issued a press release about Falcone’s resignation and several shifts in administrative leadership that school officials are making, noting that the changes have been made “in light of the timing of this announcement in relation to the start of the school year, and in an effort to provide continuity for Cider Mill students, staff, and families.”
Falcone’s resignation and the reassignment of administrators will take effect in mid-August. The first day of school for Wilton is Monday, Aug. 25.
Wilton Superintendent Kevin Smith appointed Janean Carley, currently Miller-Driscoll School assistant principal, to be acting principal of Cider Mill School. Carley’s appointment will be for the duration of the 2025-2026 school year.
“We are thrilled to have Janean take on this new role and know that her deep knowledge of instruction and collaborative approach will serve students, staff and families well,” Smith said.
According to the press release from Wilton’s Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources and General Administration Maria Coleman, Carley’s career in education spans 29 years, including the last nine years as the Miller-Driscoll assistant principal.
“During her tenure in Wilton, Mrs. Carley’s leadership has positively impacted the students and staff of Miller-Driscoll School. She has developed and delivered numerous professional learning opportunities, has chaired her school’s emergency planning committee, has served on district-level curriculum committees, and has managed complex master scheduling and class placement processes,” Coleman wrote in the release.
Prior to Wilton, Carley worked for the Greenwich Public Schools for 20 years, serving as a paraprofessional, a third- and fifth-grade teacher, a learning facilitator, a grade level leader, and an assistant principal.
Coleman added that in both Greenwich and Wilton, “Carley has consistently demonstrated a commitment to the success of all learners and to working alongside staff to achieve meaningful outcomes.”
Smith has made administrative adjustments at Miller-Driscoll in response to Carley’s move to Cider Mill.
Abby Cass, who currently serves as a part-time assistant principal, will become a full-time assistant principal at Miller-Driscoll for the 2025-2026 school year.
Stepping into the part-time assistant principal spot for the year will be retired school administrator Maureen Steinberg. According to the release, “Steinberg is a familiar presence in the Wilton Public Schools, having served previously as a substitute assistant principal at both Miller-Driscoll School and Wilton High School.” Before retirement, Steinberg spent more than 30 years in the education field, primarily in special education and early childhood special education in the Trumbull, Stratford and Westport Public Schools.
In the press release, Coleman thanked Falcone on behalf of the district, “…for her dedicated service and extends its congratulations on her new position.”