District 23's Sullivan School welcomes new principal

Anne Sullivan School in Prospect Heights has a new principal.

Debbie Gardiner, 45, of Mount Prospect is the school's new leader.

Gardiner applied for the job in January after hearing about the opening from a friend, who had done consulting work for Prospect Heights Elementary School District 23 and had many nice things to say about it.

"It's a good district. I think the stability makes people happy here, which makes it such a positive climate -- and that's good for children," she said.

Gardiner said her immediate goals are to get to know the children, families and teachers at the school.

District 23 Superintendent Greg Guarrine said Gardiner was a good fit for Sullivan School.

"Debbie is just a very warm person. I think she'll come into Sullivan and, with the staff, will continue to do wonderful things. She's a great addition to move the school forward in the future," he said.

Gardiner holds a bachelor of science in elementary education, master of education in educational administration and an advanced certificate of education, all from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

She began her career as a teacher in the 1980s. She taught in Urbana for one year in first grade, five years in second grade and six years at fifth grade. In 1996, she received the Golden Apple Award.

Gardiner has worked as an assistant principal in Mount Prospect and a principal in Riverside, Barrington and Evanston. She has a daughter in college.

Guarrine said the salary range in the district for a principal with Gardiner's experience is between $90,000 and $100,000 annually.