Frances G. DiFiore was born and raised in Hartford, Connecticut. Fran is married with three sons and a grandson and has lived in Wethersfield for the past 28 years. She has worked for 36 years in public education in both urban and suburban settings.
She attended the University of Connecticut for her undergraduate degree in Elementary Education and soon after received a M.A. in Special Education at Saint Joseph University. She continued her educational career back at the University of Connecticut receiving her 6th year degree in Educational Leadership through the CAPP program. In 2001, she completed the Executive Leadership Program, Certification for superintendency, also at the University of Connecticut. She later pursued an Ed.D. program at the University of Connecticut completing all the coursework, ABD.
Fran began teaching in Hartford at various elementary schools for eleven years before getting her first administration position as an assistant principal at Bulkeley High School. She later went on as an assistant principal at Weaver High School. In 1999, Fran became the principal of West Middle Elementary and held that position for five years until she was asked to work with the State Department of Education for six months as a principal-in-residence assisting schools throughout Connecticut who were identified as in need of improvement. After returning to Hartford, she was the Acting Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction in Hartford for a year before beginning at CREC as the Director of Teaching and Learning and the Assistant Superintendent of Magnet Schools for five years. Fran has spent the past eleven years as the principal of Cromwell High School.
During the past 22 years, Fran has been a negotiator for CFSA. She was trained at the George Meany Center for Labor Studies in Silver Springs Maryland and has negotiated contracts in over 30 different districts. Fran has always been actively involved in the administrative union where she has worked serving as the president of the Cromwell Administrators’ Association for the past 8 years. She has assisted groups in forming administrator unions and has created contracts from their inception into to the union.
Fran DiFiore has enjoyed the many different leadership roles she has had throughout her career. She has spent a great deal of time mentoring others to become leaders and has been thankful for the mentoring she received in her different positions. It has always been important to her to lead by example and model what effective leadership looks like. Fran will continue to assist others in her new role as Co-President of the CFSA.