MOVING IN/ON Deborah Lynch, former president of the Chicago Teachers Union, has joined the faculty at Gage Park High School as a special education teacher. … Karen Daniels, a former principal from Boston Public Schools, is now a regional officer for the Renaissance 2010 project. She was formerly headmaster at Excel High School, a small school within South Boston High School…. Chastity Lord, former mid-Atlantic regional director for The New Teacher Project, which helps school districts address teacher shortages, is now director of Posse Chicago, a college scholarship program. She replaces Andrew Williams, now director of multicultural affairs at Carlton College in Minnesota. …Susan Adler Yanun, former senior program officer for education and youth development at the Steans Family Foundation, is back with the Logan Square Neighborhood Association as the new community project coordinator. … David Kohn, former vice president of the Diamond Lake School District and press secretary for U.S. Rep. John Porter (R-Ill.), is the new director of public affairs for the Union League Club. He replaces Diana Nelson, now executive director of the Cross City Campaign for Urban School Reform.
PRINCIPAL CONTRACTS Yvonne Calhoun of Hoyne and Debora Esparza of Stockton have had their contracts renewed. …Paulette Boston of the department of human resources at CPS is now acting principal at William H. Brown…. David Espinoza of the office of instruction and school management at CPS takes over as contract principal at Sandoval. … The following interim principals have been promoted to contract principal: Relanda Hobbs, Laura Ward; Mona Miller, Tanner; Carol Y. Perry, Attucks; Mary-Ellen Ratkovich, Healy.
AT CLARK STREET Connie Bridge, chief officer in the office of literacy at CPS, and Giacomo Mancuso, director of school demographics and planning at CPS, are retiring in October. Replacements have not been named yet. … Tyra Newell is the new director of principal preparation and development at CPS, a new post. … Phyllis Henry, former assistant principal at Moos Elementary, is the new manager of social sciences at CPS, also a new post. She is president elect of the Illinois Council of Social Studies.
NEW MAGNET COMMISSION A panel has been appointed to re-evaluate admissions criteria for Chicago’s magnet schools. Members are: Andrea Zopp (commission leader), senior vice president and general counsel for Sears Roebuck & Co.; Nina Appel, attorney and dean emeritus at Loyola University School of Law; Julie Brown, attorney for Business and Professional People for the Public Interest; Richard Estrada, director of Erie Neighborhood House; Fran Grossman, vice president of Shore Bank; Deborah Hill, superintendent of Northfield School District; John Kendall, attorney for 100 Black Men of America, Inc.; Joyce Kenner, principal at Whitney Young High School; Yvonne Lau, professor of sociology at DePaul University; Alonzo Rivas, attorney for Mexican-American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Joe Turner, owner of Transport Link Company; Alfonso Valtierra, principal at Galileo Elementary School; Ana Vazquez, director of multicultural affairs for DePaul University. The panel is scheduled to come up with recommendations in December.
NEW SCHOOL OPENING The North-Grand High School, 4338 W. Wabansia, officially opened Sept. 8th. The school was designed to provide overcrowding relief in Humboldt Park. CPS touted its opening as part of Renaissance 2010, although plans for the school had been in the works for years.
ISBE FACELIFT Two of the seven new members of the Illinois State Board of Education are from Chicago. They are attorney Jesse Ruiz, a partner at Gardner, Carton & Douglas and ISBE’s first Latino chairperson; and Vinnie Hall, director of the district’s inclusive schools project and a former teacher. Both are Democrats. The other five appointees are Andrea Brown (R-Goreville), David Fields (I-Danville), Ed Geppert (D-Belleville), Brenda Holmes (I-Springfield) and Chris Ward (D-Lockport). They join two remaining board members, Dean Clark (R-Glen Ellyn) and Joyce Karon (D-Barrington).