By Katie Harmon
Dr. Christopher Tranberg may be new to the role of superintendent in Branford, but ever since he was a kid he knew he wanted to be an educator.
Tranberg’s passion for teaching began early when he played school with his five younger siblings, whom he claims he forced to be his students. By the time he got to high school he knew he wanted to turn his passion into a career. He said he was inspired by the way teachers have the power to validate students and push them to grow.
“There are those times in life where someone taps you on the shoulder and very often it’s teachers,” Tranberg said. “They tap us and say you have a talent for this, you’re really good at this, you should think about doing this, and I’ve had some wonderful people along the way that have just given me those taps on the shoulder that kept me going.”
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His fifth grade teacher, Mrs. McDonald, was one of those teachers who tapped on his shoulder.
As a child, Tranberg was bullied, which he says made it hard for him to go to school.
One day he was having a really hard time and wanted to talk to the guidance counselor who wasn’t there. He recalls holding back his tears while waiting to be able to speak to her.
“I think my teacher, in that moment, realized that I wasn’t even comfortable talking to her, that I needed to talk to someone else,” he said. “She had this moment of, ‘why doesn’t he feel safe enough to talk with me that he’s actually asking for a guidance counselor in fifth grade?’”
After that, everything changed, he said. From that day on they had a wonderful relationship, as she made sure he felt safe and comfortable with her.
Years later,Tranberg wrote her a letter for teacher appreciation month thanking her for all she had done for him. He received what he calls “the most beautiful letter ever” back. She recounted everything about that day, down to his glasses. He has the letter displayed in his office to this day.
“I hope that everyone looks back on their experience in Branford, whether it was kindergarten or high school, whether it was a teacher or a paraprofessional, or a custodian or someone who worked in the cafeteria, or a secretary in the office, that they can say someone had my back and that made my experience there easier,” he said. “That’s the responsibility that we have.”
Tranberg brings a great deal of experience to the superintendent’s role with a Ph.D. in educational policy, research and administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and over two decades in public education. Beginning his career as a music teacher, he has kept his love for teaching as he has stepped into larger administrative roles, from assistant principal to superintendent.
He started in July, replacing superintendent Hamlet Hernandez who retired after 15 years.
In Branford, he hopes to foster a school culture that feels safe and secure, “where there’s not a high level of bullying, where students are treating each other kindly, where adults are treating students well, where students are treating adults well.”
Good teachers create the base of a healthy and happy school environment, Tranberg said.
“I love to see teachers who love their jobs who are excited to come to work who when you ask them how their day was their instinct is to tell you a story about a student because they know that they’re making a difference,” he said. “And not only is the teacher making a difference for the student but the student makes a difference for them as well.”
Another one of his goals is to put more emphasis on clear and open communication and work with the community to achieve these goals.
Since he started in July, he has been meeting with many town groups and leaders to understand the needs of our community. He said he wants to “really hear from them and put together a story of how are we going to work together to make things the best they can be.”
He says right now he is very inspired by Brene Brown and her book Dare to Lead as it talks about “the appropriate use of vulnerability and the importance of working together and surrounding yourself with a team of people who can help things be better.”
“The first time I was ever in Branford was for my interview to work in Branford,” he said. “And I fell in love with the town on that day and I’ve loved every second of being here. So, I’m honored.”
