Leadership Matters - January 2013

Westerhold driven by desire to educate all children By Michael Chamness IASA Director of Communications

Jane L. Beyer Westerhold vividly remembers being a 26-year-old rookie principal at a school where 85 percent of the students qualified for the free or reduced lunch program. During the winter months a second-grader named Sean would knock on her office window each day before the building was open and she would let him in to warm up. “He would often pull out a dried-up biscuit for breakfast,” she recalled. “I think about him to this day. I don’t want kids to feel like we have not done all we can to help them. Children like Sean need us; they need good public schools.” Westerhold has dedicated her 35-year career in public education to providing educational opportunities for all students, efforts that culminated in her recently being named the Illinois Superintendent of the Year. In her eighth year as superintendent at Des Plaines Community Consolidated School District 62, Westerhold has overseen several major improvements, including reducing by half the so- called poverty achievement gap from 28 to 14 Name: Jane L. Beyer Westerhold School district: Des Plaines Community Consolidated School District 62 One thing you would like people to know about your school district: Our district is one of the best-kept secrets in the Chicago suburban area. IASA Region: Cook North Years on IASA Board: 4 years Years as educator: 35 High School: Staunton High School Colleges or Universities: Illinois State University, 1972- 1975; Southern Illinois University -Edwardsville, B.S. 1977 and M.S. 1980; St. Louis University, 1984 - 1990; Loyola University Chicago, Ed.D. 2001 Family: Married to Dr. Kenneth L. Cull (also a superintendent); daughter Emily Jane Westerhold (27) married to Sebastian Rymarz (28) living in San Francisco (I was Sebastian’s principal from 1st through 5th grade); stepdaughter Jami married to Dr. Andrew Patrick with one daughter, Melis (4) and living in Abu Dhabi; stepson Ian married to Heather with 3 children, Stone (5), Brooklyn (2) and Savannah (2 months) living in Chicago Favorite hobby: Cooking and entertaining, diningwithjane daily digital newspaper, have blogged personal restaurant reviews, serious cookbook collection, and hundreds of cooking magazines free to anyone who wants them.

Dr. Westerhold and her husband, Dr. Kenneth Cull

percent despite the fact that the percentage of low -income students in the district rose from 28 to 45 percent during the eight years. Other notable achievements include: • Overseeing the successful completion of a “Master Plan” that included a $109 million school facilities upgrade and the opening last year of a new Early Learning Center. (Continued on page 17) Favorite movie: I don’t like to pick favorite movies. If I had to name one that I watch every year and never get tired of, it would be “It’s a Wonderful Life.” In fact, Emily gave me a picture of the Bailey family that hangs in our living room every holiday season. Favorite book: I prefer non-fiction and do not have one favorite. I am a serious audio book geek. I have just finished How Children Succeed by Paul Tough and The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni. Favorite musical artist: I have over 6000 songs on my iTunes and could never pick a favorite. My father is a musician so I grew up surrounded by music. Playing the piano and other instruments went with learning to read. One thing people probably would be surprised to know about you: Between my first and second year of teaching, I wanted to make extra money to join a club. I was hired as an electrician apprentice and helped wire the lights in the Famous Barr Department Store in Alton Square Mall. Biggest concern about public education: How to meet the needs of the growing population of students living below the poverty line. Most encouraging thing about public education: As Horace Mann stated in 1846, “Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men.” This is as true today as it was then. We continue to provide opportunities for children who would not otherwise have a chance.

4