Press Release

The Westport Board of Education is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Brian Byrne as the next Principal of Greens Farms Elementary School, effective July 1, 2023. His selection for this role came after a rigorous search process involving multiple rounds of interviews involving Greens Farms staff, parents, Board of Education members, and district administrators.

Mr. Byrne comes to Greens Farms with a wide range of domestic and international experiences in education. He currently serves as the Elementary School Principal at the Seoul International School (SIS) in Seoul, South Korea. Prior to leading this school, Mr. Byrne served as an Elementary School Assistant Principal at both the International School of Beijing (ISB) in Beijing, China, and the Shanghai Community International School (SCIS) in Shanghai, China.

While his experiences overseas are quite extensive, Mr. Byrne’s initial successes in education began with the Stamford Public Schools. He began as a fourth grade teacher at Toquam Magnet School in Stamford before being selected to serve in a district role as Curriculum Associate for Elementary Mathematics. Collectively, Mr. Byrne’s 17+ years in education as a teacher, teacher leader, and administrator will serve as a tremendous benefit for the Greens Farms Elementary School community.

Along with his accomplishments as a school leader at schools which follow a rigorous curriculum based on standards similar to high performing school districts in the United States, Mr. Byrne has presented at multiple conferences including the East Asia Regional Council of Schools (EARCOS) Leadership Conference in Bangkok, Thailand. In addition, during his time in Stamford he was named a winner of the Stamford Public Schools Spotlight Award, an honor bestowed on him by his teaching peers. These achievements represent his commitment to continuous improvement, an approach he also uses when participating in various professional development opportunities such as The Data Wise Project through the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

Mr. Byrne holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Marketing from Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Additionally, he earned a Master of Science degree in Elementary Education from the University of Bridgeport. Mr. Byrne’s studies as a leader took place at Sacred Heart University in its Leadership and Administration Program.

Colleagues and leaders who have worked with Mr. Byrne spoke highly of his skills as a teacher and as an administrator. He was noted as a, “great leader who is an even better person.” Mr. Byrne was described as someone who makes everyone feel validated and does his research to best address the needs of the school. In sharing thoughts about his candidacy for the Greens Farms Principal position, a former supervisor stated, “You are getting a great one!” Superintendent of Schools, Mr. Thomas Scarice, noted, “Brian possesses an impressive blend of unique leadership experience, knowledge and exemplary interpersonal skills.  His child-centered focus will be a perfect fit for the Greens Farms School community.”