Glenbrook North principal: 'I could not be more proud' of Glenbrook North's 2020-21 school year

The Glenbrook High School District 225 board approved Jason Markey's hiring as Glenbrook North principal on March 16, 2020, the day before Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker closed all state schools due to COVID-19. Even under these challenging conditions, the Iowa native brought quality credentials and enthusiasm to his first year as principal of the Northbrook school.

Coming to Glenbrook North for the 2020-21 school year with the perspective of having served eight years as principal at East Leyden High School in Franklin Park, Markey responded to questions from the Northbrook Herald about his first term in the district.

Northbrook Herald: Overall, how did you think the 2020-21 school year went?

Jason Markey: I could not be more proud of the efforts of our staff, the commitment of our students, and the support of our parents and the greater community, as we were able to offer in-person learning for the majority of the school year while still extending remote learning opportunities to each and every student.

This speaks to the level of commitment and care present with our staff to ensure that we are truly meeting the needs of our students.

NH: Since hindsight is 20/20, is there anything you would have liked to have done differently as a school or district? What were the main challenges COVID-19 presented?

JM: It is so difficult to consider what could have been done differently because it is hard to even remember what we knew with the pandemic continually changing so rapidly.

That being said, I wish there was something we could have done to ease the fear for safety that was felt, especially toward the beginning of the school year, but there was so little understanding of what we were dealing with. We did what we thought was best at that moment.

NH: It's often been said since the pandemic struck that students have proved resilient. How has that been displayed at Glenbrook North?

JM: The resiliency of our students was on display throughout the past school year. First, the dedication to academics that our students demonstrated while facing so many barriers was truly impressive. Our students went above and beyond to make the most of this school year, by finding creative ways to incorporate traditional events during an untraditional year.

NH: How did the school community and parents help during this school year?

JM: One particular aspect of our school's parent community that was incredibly helpful was our Glenbrook North Parents' Association. They invited me to provide updates at each of their meetings and allowed space for open question-and-answer discussions that allowed me the space to directly communicate with our parents.

NH: What were your top three highlights of 2020-21?

JM: The arts, activities and athletics are such a critical part of the student experience at Glenbrook North, and it was obviously more challenging than ever to simply provide these experiences. I'm especially proud of the efforts of our staff and students to put together events this year that went above and beyond what could be expected under the circumstances.

Prime examples of this were our Variety Show, which allowed students to both record remotely and come in person at one of the most difficult points during the pandemic.

Our prom was a great event, and it sparked conversation about how this year's prom could potentially influence how we offer future proms.

Finally, throughout the year our coaches and athletes worked tirelessly to compete together, but this was at an entirely unique level this spring when multiple sports were overlapping and we had coaches and athletes competing and practicing for multiple teams in the same day!

NH: At this time, how will the 2021-22 school year look?

JM: At this time, we anticipate all students and staff will return for in-person learning five days a week, beginning in the fall. The schools will follow their traditional bell schedule that was set in place prior to the pandemic. More information will be provided as we get closer to the 2021-22 school year.

NH: Any final thoughts?

JM: Thank you to the students, staff and community for making my first year at the Glenbrooks one I will always remember.