Cross to exit North Barrington school's stage

Retiring North Barrington School Principal Deb Cross sees parallels between the fields of education and entertainment - specifically between herself and Jay Leno.

Just as Leno recently stepped down after 17 years as the fourth host of the "The Tonight Show," so is Cross stepping down after 17 years as the fourth principal of North Barrington School.

"But I'm not moving to prime time," she quipped at this week's Barrington Area Unit District 220 meeting.

Parallels between the principal and the talk show host largely end there, anyway, as the original, aging school Cross was first put in charge of was a much less glamorous place than Leno's Burbank, Calif., studio.

When it rained, the walls wept and the art room flooded. Not to mention the septic field behind the school, something Cross had never seen before.

She remembers the years 1994 to 1998 now as a blur of meetings preparing for and trying to educate the public on a referendum that included replacing the old school.

"Thankfully, the first referendum passed and I was able to be a part of opening a new school," she said.

Better yet, she moved into the building on her very birthday, Aug. 17.

"My only regret is that we knew we deserved a Blue Ribbon (a U.S. Department of Education school excellence award), but we never got one," she said. "I hope that in the last 17 years, I have been transparent about my love for teaching and learning."

Cross was lauded by both the fellow administrators she worked with and the board of education she worked for.

"I've never had any question about your commitment to the kids of this district," board member Penny Kazmier said. "Thank you for that."

"You're a treasure to this district, and I think you need to know that," Superintendent Tom Leonard said. "There is a fabulous feeling in your school."

Asked what the biggest challenges are in education today, Cross said the work of educators has never gotten easier despite all the advances and know-how gained. The children of today even begin their educational careers as much more complicated people than in decades past, she said.

But she praised her fellow staffers by adding that the passion and ability of today's educators has always risen to the task.

"We spin a lot of plates," she said.

Cross will end her career as an educator with the close of the school year this week.