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Superintendent Search 2018-19

Current News

March 18, 2019 - D64 Board appoints Dr. Eric Olson as new Superintendent of Schools


At the March 18, 2019 Board of Education meeting the Board unanimously approved the appointment of Dr. Olson. Dr. Olson currently is the Assistant Superintendent of Student Learning at Arlington Heights School District 25. Read the news release here. Read Board President Borrelli's statement.
 


UPDATE March 15, 2019 - New Superintendent will be announced at regular March 18 Board of Education meeting
Following the interviews of two final candidates earlier this week by the Stakeholder Committee and the Board of Education, the Board will officially approve the hiring of the new Superintendent and a compensation package at the Monday, March 18 regular Board meeting. 

UPDATE March 5, 2019 - Stakeholder/Confidential Committee set to interview D64 Superintendent finalists
A 17-member Stakeholder/Confidential Committee has been assembled to interview two finalists as the search for Park Ridge-Niles School District 64’s new Superintendent of Schools moves to the next phase. Working with its search consultants School Exec Connect, the D64 Board of Education at its February 25, 2019 meeting fine-tuned plans for the 17-person stakeholder group, which is expected to interview the final candidates on March 11 and 12 and provide written feedback to the Board prior to its interviews later those evenings. The group includes representatives from D64's employee organizations, District and building administration, school-related organizations, parents and community members. Candidates for the April 2 Board of Education election will be observers. Read the news release with the list of committee members here.


UPDATE February 25, 2019
Continuing on the timeline established previously, the D64 Board of Education met in closed session with School Exec Connect to review a slate of candidates. Board President Borrelli noted that 30 candidates had applied (23 men/7 women) and that all but 3 were from Illinois. He reported that School Exec Connect had screened all candidates, and had interviewed 14 before presenting a slate of 7 to the Board. He noted that the Board would determine 6-7 candidates to be interviewed individually in closed sessions on March 4 and 5.

In addition, Board President Borrelli reported that the applications for the Stakeholder/Confidential Interview Committee had been open through Sunday, February 24, and that School Exec Connect would now conduct a lottery for the five parents and two community members to join that committee. The committee will interview two finalists -- one on March 11 and the second on March 12 -- and provide written feedback to the Board, prior to the Board's extended interviews with the finalists on those evenings. The composition of the committee is described in more detail here.

A successor to Dr. Heinz could be named at the March 18 regular meeting, if the Board's selecton process has been completed.


NEWS RELEASE February 13, 2019 
The D64 Board of Education is seeking interested parents and community members to serve on a Stakeholder/Confidential Committee to interview finalists for D64 Superintendent as the search process concludes in coming weeks.

The Board has reserved five slots for parents and two for community members on an expanded 17-member committee, as agreed at its February 11, 2019 meeting. 

Two finalists for the Superintendent will be interviewed individually on Monday, March 11, 2019 and Tuesday, March 12, 2019. The Stakeholder/Confidential Committee will interview one candidate from 4:00 - 5:15 p.m. each day, and provide written feedback to the Board of Education before it conducts its own final interviews. The interviews will be conducted in closed session. All committee members will be required to sign a confidentiality agreement before their participation. 

The Board has instructed its search consultants from School Exec Connect to conduct a lottery to select these seven parents and community members from among all those who apply and meet the Board's criteria. The application will be available online through Sunday, February 24, 2019.  Continue reading news release...

Enter Online Application Here


February 11, 2019 - New Superintendent Profile
At the February 11, 2019 special meeting, the Board of Education received a report from its search consultants, School Exec Connect, regarding the results of the community online survey and in-person focus groups and community forum, which were used to develop a New Superintendent Profile. A video of the meeting is available at this link

VIEW NEW SUPERINTENDENT PROFILE HERE


NOTE - DUE TO ICE STORM WARNING, SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH FORUM TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 5 HAS BEEN CANCELLED. Read more here.


UPDATED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FLYER (FEBRUARY)

NEWS RELEASE January 29, 2019
Due to the severe weather, the community forums have been rescheduled and the online survey has been extended. 

Here is the updated schedule for community participation:

  • Complete School Exec Connect's online survey at this link (now closed). The survey has been extended and will remain open through February 6, 2019. It should take about 10 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous and confidential.
  • In addition to the survey, if you would like to provide input in person on the District’s strengths and challenges and the characteristics the next superintendent should possess, School Exec Connect consultants invite you to attend one of these public forums open to all staff, parents and community members from 7:00 - 7:45 p.m.:
    • Tuesday, February 5 at Roosevelt Elementary School (auditorium), 1001 S. Fairview, Park Ridge.
    • Wednesday, February 6 at Lincoln Middle School (Learning Resource Center), 200 S. Lincoln, Park Ridge.

NEWS RELEASE January 15, 2019 - Board of Education invites input on search through online survey and community forums

A first step in the search process is to create a New Superintendent Profile using information gathered from focus groups and from an online survey. The profile will guide the Board in the selection process. 

All members of the community are invited to participate:

  • Complete School Exec Connect's online survey at this link. The survey will remain open through January 31, 2019. It should take about 10 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous and confidential.
  • In addition to the survey, if you would like to provide input in person on the District’s strengths and challenges and the characteristics the next superintendent should possess, School Exec Connect consultants invite you to attend one of these public forums open to all staff, parents and community members from 7:00 - 7:45 p.m.:
    • Tuesday, January 29 at Roosevelt Elementary School (auditorium), 1001 S. Fairview, Park Ridge.
    • Wednesday, January 30 at Lincoln Middle School (Learning Resource Center), 200 S. Lincoln, Park Ridge.

School Exec Connect will present its findings from the survey and focus group conversations to the Board at a special meeting on Monday, February 11 at 6:00 p.m. at Jefferson School, 8200 N. Greendale, Niles. This meeting will be videotaped as usual.

As the Board moves forward, a Stakeholder/Confidential Committee will be established to interview the final candidates, and share their feedback with the Board. The Board plans that those involved in the search will hold candidate names confidential throughout the process. More information on how to be considered for participation on this committee will be provided in coming weeks.

Other Completed Steps

January 14, 2019
The Board of Education conducted a special meeting with its selected search firm -- School Exec Connect -- to plan the search process and timeline. Read the meeting summary here.

January 7, 2019
The Board of Education conducted a special meeting to interview two executive search firms: BWP & Associates and School Exec Connect. The Board then selected School Exec Connect to assist the Board through the Superintendent search process.  

December 18, 2018
The Board of Education met to begin planning the Board's search on how to proceed with filling the position of Superintendent. At the meeting, the Board:

  • Reviewed background information about executive search firms, the steps within a superintendent search, and potential timelines.
  • Reached consensus to interview representatives from the two search firms most active in this area at a special Board meeting on Monday, January 7, 2019. The Board intends to take action to select one of the firms at that meeting.
  • Agreed to schedule a special Board meeting on Monday, January 14, 2019 to meet with the selected firm to begin the detailed planning process.
  • Both of these meetings will be open meetings and will be videotaped.

December 12, 2018
NEWS RELEASE: Superintendent Laurie Heinz announces that she will resign at the end of the 2018-19 school year to head Palatine District 15

Together We Discover, Learn, Grow & Care

At D64, our mission is to foster opportunities for discovery, engagement, and growth for all students. We accomplish this by nurturing interdependence, appreciation of differences, and care for self and others.

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