Editorial: Two suburban school leaders who do it the right way
The news has been relentless in recent weeks. Story after story on leaders in film, politics and journalism abdicating their leadership roles in favor of power and gratification through sexual harassment and abuse.
Even on a local level, an elementary district superintendent in Des Plaines has been accused of similar activity. He has agreed to resign while also disputing the claims.
Good news is easy to get lost in this glut of stories of men making poor decisions, But it's the good news, the stories of leaders leading and representing the best of what the suburbs have to offer that should take center stage.
And the fact that two men leading our schools - and therefore teaching our children - have been honored as the best in their business is certainly worth highlighting.
On Tuesday, Neuqua Valley High School in Naperville was honored as a Blue Ribbon Award winner for excellence, and its principal, Robert McBride, has recently been named one of eight educators nationwide to receive the Terrel H. Bell Award for outstanding school leadership.
Meanwhile, this past weekend, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 Superintendent David R. Schuler was named the 2018 Illinois Superintendent of the Year by the Illinois Association of School Administrators.
Education is a priority in the suburbs, and having educators like McBride and Schuler leading the way is a testament to the high standards that we expect suburban school districts to achieve and that schools should strive for everywhere.
"We have a moral obligation, an opportunity, to transform the narrative around public education in this country," Schuler said. "We know that our kids are defined not by how they do on a test but the experiences they bring and they learn (from) in our public schools."
Schuler was lauded for accomplishments leading District 214 for the last 12 years and for his energetic style of leadership.
"He has a wonderful way of challenging you and asking you to rethink things that really has no boundaries or limits," said Lazaro Lopez, District 214's associate superintendent for teaching and learning.
Similarly, McBride, who has been principal at Neuqua Valley for 10 years, was praised for a "certain kind of steel" in working through a state budget crisis while introducing new standards and closing academic achievement gaps "with a message of simplicity, clarity and coherence."
McBride shared his honor with everyone connected to the school.
"It tells you a lot about our students, our community and the work of our staff," he said. "I become the representative of all that."
And indeed he, along with Schuler, are representative of attributes we expect of our leaders, in the schools and all walks of life.