New Fremd principal readies for school year

Most of the freshmen buzzing around the halls of Fremd High School at back-to-school orientation didn't know Principal Lisa Small.

But they will soon enough.

Small's is not an unfamiliar face at the Palatine school, as she served from 2002 to 2004 as its assistant principal. For the last four years, she's worked at the Palatine-Schaumburg High School District 211 administrative office as director of instructional improvement.

That job kept her away from the sound of slamming lockers and the squeak of sneakers across the gym floor and daily interaction with teachers and students. Returning to that environment motivated Small to take the principal's job, which she began in July.

Wednesday, though, is when things really get going with the start of the new school year in District 211.

Some things have remained the same since Small's last stint at Fremd, like the perpetual crosstown rivalry with Palatine High School. But the biggest thing, she said, is how the Fremd community remains fully committed to supporting the school.

"That's not always the case in every community," said Small, a St. Charles native.

What's changed? Students are more connected to the Internet, thanks the technology improvements, and are constantly using social-networking sites like Facebook. Also, under former Fremd Principal Marina Scott, teachers have learned to work better together, Small said. Scott left for an administrative job with Libertyville-Vernon Hills Area High School District 128.

The road to principal has been long, and Small said it wasn't something she always saw in her future. She starred on the Ohio State University volleyball team, which won the Big 10 championship in 1989. She graduated in 1991 with a degree in science education, then went onto earn a master's in curriculum and instruction from Northern Illinois University, a certificate in advanced educational leadership from National-Louis University and a doctorate in curriculum and instruction from Loyola University.

Her first job out of school was teaching biology in 1992 at Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire. She moved onto Hoffman Estates High School, where she spent nine years teaching and coaching volleyball.

The decision to apply for principal affects the family, said Small's husband, District 211 Director of Educational Technology Robert Small.

"It's a job that takes you away from home so much," he said.

The two have been married for three years and live in Barrington Hills, where Lisa Small has taken up horseback riding.

"At this point, I just try not to fall off," she joked.

She's also an avid reader. One of her more recent reads, "Gang Leader for a Day" by Sudhir Venkatesh, might even make into the classroom. The book's about a sociologist's experiences living in Chicago's Robert Taylor Homes, a public housing development.

"It just gave me a different perspective as someone who grew up in the suburbs," Small said.

Working on the administrative side also gives Small a unique perspective, she said. She's got a better idea of how all five District 211 schools interact and the administration's role in the education process.