Community leaders to serve as 'Principals for a Day' in U-46
Elgin Area School District U-46 will host its 11th annual "Principal for a Day" event on Friday, Dec. 7, with more than 50 local leaders experiencing school life from a new perspective across the district's 11 communities.
"This annual event is not only a way to celebrate our schools, but it is also an opportunity for our district to create and strengthen relationships with community leaders," said CEO Tony Sanders. "These relationships matter; they are what build and sustain our schools and communities."
Participating guest principals include police officers, firefighters, leaders in the areas of medicine, finance, business and education, and more than a dozen elected officials.
They will all get a behind-the-scenes look at the life and responsibilities of a school leader in a diverse district of nearly 39,000 students. Twenty-two of the 57 guest principals are new participants in the annual event.
The participants are always encouraged to develop long-term partnerships with the schools they visit by committing to activities such as mentoring and tutoring, hosting field trips, sponsoring a school activity, or being a guest for career day.
To conclude the "Principal for a Day" event, the guests will convene for a luncheon sponsored by Marco, a leading technology services provider, from noon to 2 p.m. at Villa Olivia in Bartlett.
The featured speaker will be state Sen. Andy Manar, the chief advocate of the evidence-based school funding reform in Illinois focused on equity for all students and schools. The reform brought additional state funding to U-46, $24 million during the 2017-18 school year and $18 million during the 2018-19 school year. He will address attendees on statewide education initiatives during the luncheon.
Below is a chart that outlines which community leaders will serve at individual schools.
• Abbott Middle School: Leslie Maloney of JPMorgan Chase
• Bartlett Elementary: Hasi Smith of Alignment Collaborative for Education
• Bartlett High School: Richard Miskiewicz of Baird & Warner
• Canton Middle School: Streamwood Village Board trustee Mary Thon
• Centennial Elementary: Samantha Alloway of Elgin Area School District U-46 Citizens' Advisory Council
• Central School Programs: Heather Weiss of DUTU
• Century Oaks Elementary: Linda Deering-Dean of Advocate Sherman Hospital
• Channing Elementary: Yvonne Irving of KCT Credit Union
• Clinton Elementary: South Elgin Fire Department Chief Steve Wascher
• Coleman Elementary: Paul Bednar of Vintage Home Realty
• Dream Academy: Jenette Siebens of Family Service Association
• Eastview Middle School: Bartlett Mayor Kevin Wallace
• Elgin High: Mary Perkins of Elgin Community College
• Ellis Middle School: Chris Price of JPMorgan Chase
• Fox Meadow Elementary: Elgin City Councilwoman Tish Powell
• Garfield Elementary: state Sen. Andy Manar
• Glenbrook Elementary: Kelly Behnke of Three Fires Council Boy Scouts of America Inc.
• Hanover Countryside: Veronica Betz of AT&T
• Harriet Gifford Elementary: Dave Burisek of Taylor Family YMCA
• Hawk Hollow Elementary: Tina Smith of JPMorgan Chase
• Heritage Elementary: Denise Espinosa of Walgreens
• Highland Elementary: Elgin City Councilwoman Rose Martinez and U-46 board member Melissa Owens
• Hillcrest Elementary: Robert Cox of RCDC Services
• Hilltop Elementary: Clinton Scharff of Three Fires Council Boy Scouts of America Inc.
• Horizon Elementary: state Rep. Michelle Mussman, 56th District
• Huff Elementary: Elgin Fire Chief Dave Schmidt
• Illinois Park: Amber Peters of Elgin Partnership for Early Learning
• Independence: John Parquette of Hanover Township
• Kenyon Woods Middle School: Wayne Township Trustee Brandi Ramundo
• Kimball Middle School: state Sen. Andy Manar
• Larkin High School: Melissa Barbosa-Guzman, Law Office of Melissa Barbosa-Guzman
• Larsen Middle School: Joseph McMahon, Kane County State's Attorney Office
• Laurel Hill Elementary: Michael Cohen, Hanover Township Youth & Family Services
• Liberty Elementary: Bartlett Police Officer Tracey Dendinger
• Lincoln Elementary: Velma Sept of African American Advisory Council
• Lords Park Elementary: Ernie Broadnax, "Project 3-2-1"; and the Rev. Nathaniel L. Edmond, Second Baptist Church of Elgin
• Lowrie Elementary: Elgin Township Supervisor Franklin Ramirez
• McKinley Elementary: Ralph Martire, Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
• More at Four: Elisa Lara, VNA Health Care
• Nature Ridge Elementary: Hal Theis, retired, Texas A&M and McDonald's Corp.
• Oakhill Elementary: Nancy Coleman, Alignment Collaborative for Education
• Ontarioville Elementary: Ron Wentzell, Three Fires Council Boy Scouts of America Inc.
• Otter Creek Elementary: U-46 Educational Foundation board member Dawn Curran
• Parkwood Elementary: Hanover Park Village Board Trustee Sharmin Shahjahan
• Prairieview Elementary: Kane County Board member Philip Lewis
• Ridge Circle Elementary: Streamwood Police Chief Daryl Syre
• Ronald D. O'Neal Elementary: Elgin Police Chief Ana Lalley
• South Elgin High School: State Sen. Andy Manar
• Spring Trail Elementary: Daniel Potter of JPMorgan Chase
• Streamwood High School: Fatima Reyes of Avid CNA School
• Sunnydale Elementary: Oswaldo Alvarez of Grand Victoria Foundation
• Sycamore Trails Elementary: Bartlett Police Officer Victoria Anderson
• Tefft Middle School: U-46 board member Sue Kerr
• Timber Trails Elementary: Dave Bearden, Elgin Symphony Orchestra CEO
• Washington Elementary: Maggie Sifuentes, Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois
• Wayne Elementary: Wayne Township Commissioner Martin McManamon
• Willard Elementary: Kane County Board member Michael Kenyon