Back at home, District 214 superintendent honored for national award

Back home from Nashville, where last week he was named 2018 National Superintendent of the Year, Northwest Suburban High School District 214 boss David Schuler received a hero's welcome Wednesday morning from his colleagues at the district's Arlington Heights headquarters.

Schuler is the first superintendent from Illinois to win the award in the 31 years it's been given out by the organization now known as the School Superintendents Association.

The honor in part recognizes Schuler's nationally recognized work to change the way educators view college and career readiness.

The "Redefining Ready!" campaign he launched while president of the superintendents organization during the 2015-16 school year uses a host of metrics - ranging from grade-point average to attendance to participation in co-curricular activities - to define students as being college- and career-ready, rather than simply relying on standardized testing.

In addition to "Redefining Ready!," the panel that selected Schuler cited his leadership behind District 214's career pathways program, in which high school students can get early college credit, internships and career credentials.

Schuler, 47, joined District 214 in 2005, after serving as superintendent in two Wisconsin districts. He oversees Illinois' second-largest high school district, with more than 12,000 students at six high schools and four specialized learning programs.