New Westbrook principal loves guiding the youngest students

Mary Kalogeropoulos expected she'd miss having her own group of students when she left teaching to become principal of Westbrook School for Young Learners in Mount Prospect.

The switch did require an adjustment, she said, but it wasn't quite as difficult as she'd feared.

“I came to realize that I have a whole school's worth of students now, instead of just one class,” she said. “So the change has actually been great.”

Kalogeropoulos took over the principal's job in July. She replaced Jan Ewing, who was fired last fall amid allegations of insubordination. The base salary for the Westbrook principal's job is $91,522.

Elaine Aumiller, superintendent of Mount Prospect Elementary District 57, said in a statement that Kalogeropoulos is a “phenomenal up-and-coming educational leader.”

“I'm confident that under her leadership, Westbrook will not be just a building but a thriving school with its own unique identity,” Aumiller said.

The opening of this school year, her first as principal, went smoothly, Kalogeropoulos said, adding that she's delighted to be working with younger students. Westbrook serves preschool through first grade.

“For most of our students, this is their first experience with school,” she said. “And it's an honor to be able to guide them through it. I'm really passionate about making kids feel successful, especially the younger ones.”

Kalogeropoulos, a Hoffman Estates native, came to District 57 from Glenview Elementary District 34, where she taught for five years. She has a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Illinois At Urbana-Champaign, and she's now pursuing a doctorate in educational leadership at the university.

Though she enjoyed teaching, she always had an eye on an administrative position and recently earned her Type 75 administrative certificate.

“It was something I've wanted to move toward,” she said. “And actually, I've found that being a principal is actually quite similar to being a teacher. I'm still working with students, helping them achieve at the highest level possible.”

The job at Westbrook appealed to her because the school has a dedicated staff and an involved parent community, she said.

“With kids this young, a lot of the parents are having their first experience with the school system here, too. I'm grateful for the chance to work with them.

“And the staff here have been wonderful. I always believed as a teacher that the students taught me as much as I taught them. My colleagues here at Westbrook are definitely teaching me a lot now.”