Skip To Main Content

SPS Announces Administrative Changes at AITE, Davenport, Toqaum, Turn of River, and Westhill

Stamford School District
SPS Announces Administrative Changes at AITE, Davenport, Toqaum, Turn of River, and Westhill

Stamford Public Schools has announced the following administrative moves that will take effect on Wednesday, July 1:

  • Joseph Cozza, from Assistant Principal at AITE to Assistant Principal at Turn of River Middle School; 

  • Rafael Escobar, from Assistant Principal at Turn of River Middle School to Assistant Principal at Westhill High School; 

  • Amparo Fabre, from Assistant Principal at Westhill to Assistant Principal at AITE; 

  • Melissa Fano-Dropick, from Assistant Principal at Davenport to Assistant Principal at Toquam; and

  • Cynthia Manifold-Dougherty, from Assistant Principal at Toquam to Assistant Principal at Davenport.

Please see below for more information about these administrators.  

Joseph Cozza, Assistant Principal 

Joseph Cozza is joining Turn of River Middle School from AITE, where he has been an Assistant Principal since 2022. Prior to joining AITE, Cozza spent 16 years as a science teacher at Stamford High School (SHS) and was the SHS Department Head for Science from 2018 to 2022. He also served as a Head Teacher in the SPS Summer School Program in 2019, 2020, and 2021. 

Cozza earned a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences from the State University of New York at Buffalo, and both a Master’s in Education and a Sixth-Year Diploma in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Bridgeport. 

He is certified by the Connecticut State Department of Education in Grades 4-12 Biology (030), Grades 4-12 General Science (034) and K–12 Intermediate Administration or Supervision (092).

Rafael Escobar, Assistant Principal

Rafael Escobar is joining Westhill High School from Turn of River, where he has been an Assistant Principal since July 2023. Escobar joined Stamford Public Schools in July 2012 as Dean of Students at Stamford High School, and was named Assistant Principal at Stamford High in 2015. 

A graduate of Stamford High School, Escobar earned a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Master of Arts in History from Central Connecticut State University and a Sixth-Year Diploma in Educational Administration and Supervision from the University of Bridgeport. 

He is certified by the Connecticut State Department of Education in Grades 4-12 History and Social Studies (026) and Intermediate Administration or Supervision (092)

Amparo Fabre, Assistant Principal 

Amparo Fabre is joining AITE from Westhill High School, where she has been an Assistant Principal since July 2023. Fabre began her career in education as a biology teacher at Westhill in 2012 where she taught honors, college prep, and bilingual biology courses and bilingual physical science. Amparo also has served as the Lead Teacher for the Adult & Continuing Education High School Diploma Program, and as both a Head Teacher and multilingual learner teacher in the SPS Summer School Program. 

A graduate of Westhill High School, Fabre earned a Bachelor’s in Natural Science and Biology from Mercy College, a Master’s in Secondary Biology Education from Fairfield University, and a Master’s in Educational Leadership from Sacred Heart University. 

She is certified by the Connecticut State Department of Education in Grades 4-12 Biology (030), Grades 4-12 Bilingual Biology (930), High School Credit Diploma Program (106), External Diploma Program/Noncredit Mandated Programs (107), and Intermediate Administration or Supervision (092).

Melissa Fano-Dropick, Assistant Principal 

Melissa Fano-Dropick is joining Toquam Elementary from Davenport Ridge Elementary, where she has been the Assistant Principal since August 2023. Fano began her career with Stamford Public Schools as a special education teacher at Rippowam Middle School, where she later served as a special education PPT facilitator and learning performance and data coach. 

She joined Stillmeadow as a special education teacher in 2008 and was named the Scientific Research Based Intervention (SRBI) teacher in 2019. Fano joined Davenport Ridge as the teacher-leader for student support in 2022. 

Fano earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Central Connecticut State University, a Master of Education in Special Education from Saint Joseph College, and both a Master of Education in Remedial Reading and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership from Sacred Heart University. 

She is certified by the Connecticut State Department of Education in PreK–12 Comprehensive Special Education PreK–12 (265), Grades 1-12 Remedial Reading (102), and K–12 Intermediate Administration or Supervision (092). 

Cynthia Manifold-Dougherty, Assistant Principal 

Cynthia Manifold-Dougherty is joining Davenport Ridge Elementary from Toquam Elementary, where she was the Assistant Principal for the 2025-26 school year. Manifold-Dougherty has more than 20 years of experience as a K-2 reading interventionist, special education teacher, classroom teacher, and district curriculum director.  

She joined the central office as Curriculum Associate for Professional Development (English Learners) in 2015 and was Coordinator of Professional Development from 2018-2020. She was the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment (Elementary) from 2020-2024 and joined APPLES PreK as Assistant Director, Early Childhood Development & Intervention for the 2024-25 school year. 

Manifold-Doughtery earned a Bachelor's in Hotel, Restaurant and Tourism from the University of New Orleans; a Masters in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from Southern Connecticut State University; and a certificate in Educational Leadership from Sacred Heart University. 

She is certified by the Connecticut State Department of Education in K-6 Elementary Education (013), Adult Education Teaching Non-English Speaking Adults (088), PreK–12 Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (011) and Intermediate Administration or Supervision (092).