Four District 65 administrators will leave their posts at the end of the school year.
Orrington Elementary School Principal Linda Johnson, Willard Elementary School Principal Barbara Wiesley, Haven Middle School Principal Scott Waller and King Laboratory School Assistant Principal Jerry Murphy will leave their positions at the end of the school year.
District 65 Superintendent Hardy Ray Murphy said principal turnovers are expected. With 80 applicants to fill the open posts, Murphy emphasized that people are excited about the district.
“The level of interest is encouraging,” Murphy said. “This is a fine district and we’re very excited to have this much interest.”
But some district officials and teachers have criticized Murphy for failing to involve them more fully in district decision making.
In March, principals from the 16 District 65 schools drafted an administrative challenge that outlined their concerns for leadership in the district. The plan was drafted for possible inclusion in the district’s new Five-Year Strategic Plan.
The District 65 school board recently read a revised version of the challenge. The document reads in part: “Decision making has been more centralized than has traditionally been the case, with the result that some principals, administrators and staff feel they have not been adequately consulted and would like to see a more collaborative process.”
Orrington’s Johnson, who has worked in District 65 for more than 25 years, will leave her post to take a position as principal at Winnetka’s District 36 Greeley School.
Johnson said District 36’s innovative philosophy prompted her to leave Orrington two years earlier than she had planned. She said District 36 Superintendent Becky van der Bogart recruited and approached her, and Johnson found the district’s philosophy exciting.
“District 36 has a very different district philosophy,” said Johnson. “They follow the early childhood philosophy out of Italy and the teachings of John Dewey.”
Johnson, who worked at Dewey and Kingsley elementary schools before being named Orrington’s principal in 1996, said administrative dissatisfaction with Murphy was not a factor in her decision to leave.
“I can’t speak for the others,” said Johnson. “I didn’t consider the superintendent (of District 65) in making this decision. I wanted to take this opportunity before retiring.”
Waller recently announced his departure from District 65 after three years as Haven’s principal. He previously served as principal of a middle school in Waukegan.
Willard’s Wiesley informed parents and staff last month of her decision to retire after 33 years in the district. A longtime teacher who previously served as the vice president of the District Educators’ Council, Wiesley began her position as Willard’s principal in 1994.
Waller and Wiesley declined to comment on their decisions to leave the district.
King’s Jerry Murphy also announced plans to take an early retirement at the conclusion of the current school year.
Jerry Murphy said District 65 administrators will start interviewing in the next couple of weeks to fill the positions.
“(The outgoing administrators) are exceptional leaders and educators, and we’ve benefited from having them as part of this district,” he said. “We’re also excited to find new people who may bring new perspectives to the district.”
