Superintendent retiring at Gurnee's Warren Township High School
Warren Township High School's superintendent is making a second try at retiring from her education career.
Mary Perry-Bates plans to retire after the 2014-15 academic season June 30. John Anderson, president of the Gurnee-based Warren District 121 board, said interviews with search firms to lead the hunt for a new school boss will start Thursday, Nov. 13.
Anderson said he appreciated Bates delaying her retirement from District 121. She had been assistant superintendent and was supposed to retire in June 2013, but that changed when she took over after Jeff Brierton resigned before he ever started as superintendent in July 2012.
"Mary has led the district for the past three years, one year as interim and two years as superintendent, which really saved the district from a lot of uncertainty," Anderson said. "She has been the glue that keeps everything moving forward. She has been wonderful."
Bates said she looks forward to sleeping late, having an open schedule and not worrying at 4 a.m. on a weekday whether school should be closed because of poor weather. She said she'll always be connected to Warren.
"I will miss the opportunity to work with - and for - the exceptional staff and students, and the supportive board and parent community at Warren," Bates said. "I will miss the challenge of dealing with the many situations that occur each day as these situations engage my intellect and engage my spirit."
Bates has had several accomplishments since becoming District 121's leader in 2012-13. They include securing the retention of top administrators through 2018, enhancing partnerships with local organizations such as the Gurnee Chamber of Commerce, building a joint transportation facility with Gurnee Elementary District 56 and supporting what's known as a flipped classroom method of learning.
Flipped classroom involves an active transfer of the responsibility and ownership of learning to the students. In part, pupils are expected to watch a teacher's video lecture on key information at home - repeating as many times as needed - with more time devoted for discussion about a subject in the classroom.
"It is essential to note that none of (the accomplishments) would have been possible if it were not for the efforts of our excellent staff and administration and support of our board of education," she said.
Brierton, former principal of Warren's O'Plaine Road freshmen-sophomore campus in Gurnee, received a severance package of about $250,000 when he quit before he was supposed to become superintendent in 2012-13.
He was named District 121's new boss in December 2010 to succeed Phil Sobocinski.
Anderson said the new superintendent for 2015-16 should have a firm grip on school finance and an ability to develop employees.
"We will be looking for a superintendent that is forward thinking on educational issues," he said. "We do not want to keep up with other districts. We want to be at the forefront of educational improvement."