Dist. 158 OKs resignation for special education head

The Huntley Unit District 158 school board on Thursday formally accepted the resignation of former Special Services Director Cheryl Kalkirtz.

The board also directed the district's legal counsel to draft a separation agreement with Kalkirtz in accordance with her attorney's requests.

The move answered few questions about Kalkirtz's abrupt and as-yet-unexplained departure, which took effect Feb. 1.

After Thursday's board meeting, Superintendent John Burkey declined to comment further on the reasons for Kalkirtz's departure and would not say whether she was asked to resign or left of her own volition. Kalkirtz has declined to talk about the circumstances of her exit.

State records show Kalkirtz lacks a special education director endorsement, which the Illinois State Board of Education requires for administrators - like Kalkirtz in her previous role - who primarily oversee special education.

Although Burkey has declined to address whether the missing endorsement is related to Kalkirtz's departure, the school board on Thursday carefully shuffled around special education staff and assigned new titles to ensure the district is in compliance with state certification guidelines.

In a surprise move, the board approved longtime special education administrator Christy Chambers as interim special services director. Chambers is a former superintendent of the Special Education District of McHenry County, a cooperative that provides special education to member school districts, including District 158.

Burkey had earlier tapped former Special Services Assistant Director Karen Aylward to serve as interim director but decided to appoint Chambers to the post for the time being while Aylward awaits her director endorsement.

"We don't have Karen Aylward's certification confirmation yet," Burkey said. "We're not going to take formal action until she has it in hand."

Burkey said, however, that Aylward will still run the day-to-day business of the department and assume the director post when she gets her certification.

In the meantime, Aylward, Stacy O'Dea and Karen Tetrev will serve as special services coordinators - a title change from assistant director that allows the district to work around the fact that none of the women have director endorsements, which are also required for assistant directors, according to the state board.

"We're trying to cross our T's on the certification issue," Burkey said. "We just feel like having the title they have will make it a more clear issue."