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LM September 2019
#76 is located in Mundelein, which is 40 miles northwest
of Chicago in Lake County. We have 1,100 preK-8th grade
students and 150 staff members. We have a highly diverse
population, with 70 percent of our students coming from
economically challenging backgrounds, 40 percent are ELL
and 80 percent are culturally diverse. Eighty percent of our
students graduate and go on to Mundelein High School, and
20 percent of our students graduate and go on to Stevenson
High School.
Two years ago, we passed a building-bond referendum for
$11 million. We were able to invest those dollars back into
our schools and make some major safety, maintenance and
technological improvements the past two summers, with the
most recent being closing a school and reorganizing three
school buildings into three schools on two campuses. This
allowed us to operate more efficiently and responsibly.
Q
:
Yourschool district recentlymadeback-
to-school extraspecial forstaff.What
didyoudo?
Based on the recent reorganization of the district, we needed
to make sure that our staff felt safe, valued and appreciated.
Each year, we start our first day institute with a big back-to-
school themed party to get staff motivated and inspired to
come back to school. No one ever looks forward to going
back to school so this became our mission for the leadership
team and me to energize them and get them to look forward
to coming back to school. This year’s theme was, “Rock Out
the Red Carpet—The Premiere of the New D76.” Everyone
from the DLT to the BOE dressed up as their favorite rock
stars and walked down the red carpet. The positive energy
was contagious. It takes people’s minds off the dreaded
back-to-school stress and summer being over thoughts...the
party gives them something to look forward to and the theme
allows them to plan their outfits with their teams over the
summer and work together and build relationships and bond
over something fun. The red carpet made them feel special
like the rock stars they are.
Q
:
Whywas it important tomakethisday
extraspecial forstaff?
Leadership is not about being in charge. Leadership is about
taking care of those in your charge, the leadership expert
Simon Sinek says. As superintendents and leaders, we need
to make sure we take care of the people in our charge. They
need to feel valued, appreciated and recognized. We need
to ensure that their basic social and emotional needs are
met. Before we expect staff to take care of our students, staff
needs to feel cared for, safe, welcome and supported so that
they can make our students feel the same. Students who
come from loving homes come to school to learn. Kids who
don’t, come to school to be loved. Staff is the most valuable
resource we have in our schools that impact students so they
need to feel loved so they can love their students.
Q
:
Hasyourdistrictdoneanything likethis
before,anddoyouthink ithad
an impact?
Yes. It’s our fifth year doing it. The staff loves it and looks
forward to it every year. We have a contest in the spring
to pick the “theme” for the next school year. I announce
what the winning theme is at the end-of-the-school-year
staff recognition party. They then have all summer to plan
with their teams, wardrobes, contest and props. It is a fun
activity to build teamwork, collaboration and excitement
for the upcoming year. Plus, our leadership team gets into
it and plans out wardrobes too. It has become a highly
anticipated event. The feedback from the BOE and the
community is about how happy and excited our staff is to
return to school. They are energized and looking forward to
welcoming their students and have a special and memorable
start to the year and want to keep that momentum going.
continued...