Dr. Rosie O’Brien Vojtek, a 38-year veteran educator and for 17 years principal of Bristol’s Ivy Drive School, has taken office as the 37th president of the Connecticut Association of Schools. Since joining the association in 2002, Dr. Vojtek has served in a myriad of demanding leadership roles and has been a model of advocacy and service at the local, state and national levels.

Upon her appointment as president, Dr. Vojtek remarked, “I am very excited and honored to have been elected as CAS President. Along with the many educational challenges facing Connecticut schools, there are just as many opportunities to improve the quality of learning for all students, especially through the reauthorization of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). I look forward to working with my colleagues and friends across Connecticut as well as all stakeholder groups to continue to close the achievement gap, bring equity across all school districts, provide high quality professional learning to all educators, and build the structures to create personalized instruction for every student in every school, everyday. I am proud to serve in this leadership role and represent the Connecticut Association of Schools.”

Dr. Vojtek received her bachelor of science degree from Oregon State University and went on to earn her master’s degree and doctorate of philosophy from the University of Oregon. She began her professional career in 1977 as a classroom teacher in Winston, OR. In 1999, after a rich and storied 22-year educational career on the West Coast, she relocated to Connecticut and assumed her current position as principal of Ivy Drive.

Dr. Vojtek is a prolific author, editor, presenter and workshop participant. She serves on a number of state, regional and national boards and commissions, including the state-appointed Connecticut Advisory Council for School Administrator Professional Standards of which she is chairperson. Intimately involved in the work of the CAS Principals’ Center since 2006, Dr. Vojtek was a key member of the planning and implementation team for the New Leaders Academy. Now in its fourth year of operation, the academy is helping to develop high-performing instructional leaders with the competencies and skills necessary to succeed in today’s challenging educational environment.

Throughout her long and distinguished career in education, Dr. Vojtek has garnered numerous honors and awards, including the Connecticut Federation of School Administrators’ Administrator of the Year Award (2010); the University Council for Educational Administration’s Excellence in Educational Leadership Award (2016); the International Society for Technology in Education’s Volunteer Service Award (2012 & 2013); and the CAS Citation, the association’s highest honor (2013). In 2010, under her leadership, Ivy Drive was selected as the CAS Elementary School of the Year.

Said CAS Executive Director Dr. Karissa Niehoff, “Dr. Vojtek is at all times industriously engaged in activities which promote professional learning and growth. She is a recognized and respected voice in education in our state; and, her influence extends far beyond the borders of Connecticut. She has garnered a strong national reputation through her long-standing work with NAESP and the International Society for Technology in Education. CAS is fortunate to have a leader of her caliber and experience shaping its future.”

Dr. Vojtek began her term as president on July 1, 2016.