Hartford Public Schools superintendent on raising the bar

“Set the bar, meet the bar, exceed the bar, and raise the bar” is the motto and defining words of Dr. Andraé Townsel, superintendent and CEO of Hartford Public Schools. During his Oct. 7 University Hour presentation at Eastern, Townsel encouraged students to push themselves to their limits and not settle for mediocrity.

During his presentation titled “Setting the Bar: Leadership, Education, and the Power of Purpose," Townsel told students that if they want to succeed, they often need to raise the bar themselves and continue pursuing success. Townsel drew on a key setback and success in his educational journey: being denied a Howard University football scholarship but later being selected for a prestigious alumni award for distinguished postgraduate achievement. 

In Townsel’s opinion, people need a strong foundation in order to harness their potential to "attract what you are." His foundation at Howard University, surrounded by other ambitious peers, pushed him to become the best version of himself and exceed expectations.  

Raising the bar for Townsel meant breaking a “glass ceiling” in education, an informal and unwritten barrier in professional fields historically preventing qualified women and minority groups from senior and leadership positions.  

Townsel spoke about the glass ceiling he experienced in his youth. He originally intended to become a physical education teacher but decided to push himself further after his mother told him he was setting the bar too low for someone attending an Ivy League-level school.  

“When I learned about the industry of education, about K-12 education, I understood there's the bottom, and there's the top,” said Townsel. “There's a hierarchy even there, and that's why I learned about principalship and superintendency.”  

Townsel’s goals rose from being a P.E. teacher to becoming a superintendent. Townsel hit the ground running to reach his goal quickly, earning his bachelor's, master's, and doctorate degrees within 13 years.  

“I've been a superintendent for eight years,” said Townsel. “I'm still the youngest in the state, and one of the youngest in the country. Understand your field. Understand the trajectory. I don't care what it is. There's a hierarchy everywhere.”  

To optimize the trajectory you’re set on, Townsel stressed that the road to success isn’t one you can walk alone.  Positive relationships with educators and peers, and strong letters of recommendation, are key to success.   

“There's no lone wolf in success,” said Townsel. “You have to work with people. What will people say about you? There's struggle before beauty. It rains before the sun comes out.”  

He emphasized that reaching a goal requires a solid routine: a clear target, time reserved for work, support, and no wasted time, and that every time you reach a goal, you need to keep raising the bar.   

Townsel used his superintendentship in Michigan, Maryland, and now Connecticut as an example. He explained that with every new position, his responsibilities, number of students, and pay increased, and that he used each new job to prove he was one of the best at what he did.  

“When I was in Benton Harbor (MI), the school district had a budget deficit for 14 years straight," said Townsel. After his tenure, the system ran a financial surplus, he said.    

Townsel then highlighted his achievements in Connecticut since starting in July 2025, raising the bar by helping Hartford Public Schools achieve its highest high school graduation rate in the system's history and lowering the dropout rate from 500 to 300 across the district.  

Townsel continued to raise the bar, and he encouraged students to do the same, reminding young professionals to keep pushing.   

“Set one meaningful goal. Meet one repeatable action. Exceed one contribution beyond the minimum,” said Townsel. “Set the bar. Meet the bar. Exceed the bar. Raise the bar. Your next chapter needs your participation.”