District 214 names new administrators

The High School District 214 Board of Education has appointed two veteran educators to administrative roles focused on math, science and technical education.

Dawn Francis, a longtime teacher at John Hersey High School in Arlington Heights, was appointed division head for Math and Science. Dan Weidner, currently coordinator of Career and Technical Education and Driver Education and a physics teacher at Wheeling High School, was appointed the district administrator for Career and Technical Education.

Both appointments, made at the Feb. 27 Board of Education meeting, are effective July 1.

Francis joined District 214 in 1999, as a biology teacher at Hersey after starting her career as a science teacher at Lincoln Middle School in Park Ridge. During her time at Hersey, she has grown Advanced Placement biology enrollment, collaborated with colleagues to create curriculum that serves students with a large variety of learning needs and helped to execute an iPad pilot for various biology classes. At the district level, she has organized and facilitated AP biology workshops for teachers and leads the AP biology Professional Learning Community, which brings together instructors from across District 214 to discuss innovative curriculum.

Francis holds a master's degree in educational and organizational leadership from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, as well as a second master's degree in secondary biology education from Northwestern University. She will replace Jeff Wardle, who was named Buffalo Grove High School's new principal in an appointment earlier this year.

Weidner joined District 214 in 2008, as a Wheeling High School physics teacher after starting his career teaching science at Argo Community High School in Summit. In his time at Wheeling, Weidner coached the school's Science Olympiad team, coordinated the Next Generation Innovators Challenge and served as an instructor for Project Lead the Way Gateway to Tech, a program that encourages learning and lifelong interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. In July 2013, Weidner took on the additional role of coordinating Career and Technical Education and Driver Education following the retirement of Jeff Jerdee in July 2013.

Weidner holds a master's degree in educational leadership from Northeastern Illinois University, as well as a second master's degree in physics education from the University of Virginia.