MOVING IN/ON Paul Goren has left the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, where he served as director of child and youth development, to become vice president of the Spencer Foundation, a Chicago-based foundation that supports education research nationwide. He succeeds John Williams, who is leaving for personal reasons. … In September, Barbara T. Bowman will step down as president at the Erikson Institute, a graduate school in child development, but continue to teach. Bowman founded the institute in 1966 to provide training to Head Start teachers. This will be the institute’s first change in leadership. … Joanne Howard has resigned as deputy director of Designs for Change to join the Lincoln Foundation for Business Excellence as manager of its Illinois Lincoln/Baldridge Excellence in Education Initiative, a model for organizational improvement.
AT CLARK STREET Ana Espinoza, formerly a curriculum director in the Office of Curriculum, Instruction and Professional Development, is now the department’s interim officer. She replaces John Frantz, who has joined the Charter Schools Office to monitor the educational performance of charter schools.
AT CITY HALL Following Catalyst’s February issue on suggested successors to Paul Vallas —at the time he was weighing a bid for governor—the Chicago Sun-Times profiled B. J. Walker, a deputy chief of staff for Mayor Daley. “Some observers wonder whether [she] could be the heir apparent as schools CEO,” wrote reporters Fran Spielman and Rosalind Rossi. They quoted Walker as saying she had no interest in the job. Formerly deputy director of the North Central Regional Education Laboratory, Walker took over the education portfolio for the mayor following the departure of Philip Jackson. Before going to work at City Hall, she was director of community operations for the Illinois Department of Human Services. She is married to Chicago Aviation Commissioner Thomas Walker.
PRINCIPAL CONTRACTS Interim principals Annie Comacho of Northwest Middle School and Roy C. White of Williams Elementary have received contracts. Teretha J. Walton, contract principal at Willa Cather Elementary, had her contract renewed. Betty Carlvin, an assistant principal at Dewey Academy, is now the school’s contract principal.
RETIREMENTS Camille E. Chase, 29-year principal of McPherson Elementary, has retired from the school. She will continue to serve as a probation manager and a coach in LIFT, a professional development program for new principals. Assistant Principal Carmen Gianfrontoni is serving as interim principal. … Mable McClendon has retired as principal of Mollison Elementary. Assistant Principal Wilhelmina Kenan is serving as interim principal. … Barbara H. Valerious, 14-year principal of the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and a 45-year veteran of CPS, has retired. Solomon Humphries, assistant principal at Einstein Elementary and a graduate of the LAUNCH principal training program, is serving as interim principal. Valerious will stay on two days a week as a consultant.
HONORS AND AWARDS Linda Smentek, technology director and teacher at Hayt Elementary, received the Technology Educator of the Year Award for 2001 from AT&T and Illinois Computing Educators. Since joining the Hayt staff in 1997, Smentek has rebuilt a computer lab, developed an on-line newspaper and a technology bulletin and initiated a program to involve teachers and students in curriculum-based projects. … The College Board honored Morgan Park High School as one of seven 2001 Inspiration Award winners nationwide. Given for the first time this year, the award recognizes neighborhood high schools for boosting the number of students taking Advanced Placement courses and going on to college. Winning schools receive $10,000 to use for any purpose that promotes students’ access to higher learning. … Five CPS teachers have been selected as finalists for the Kohl-McCormick Early Childhood Teaching Awards. They are Clare Billingham of Otis, Adell Brock of Swift, Martha Dominguez-Diaz of Ortiz De Dominguez, and Julia Scranton-Snyder of Murray.
CORRECTION: The March issue’s Comings & Goings erred in reporting the name of the retiring director of school intervention. The correct name is Albert E. Foster, Jr.