Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment Appointed
On June 2, 2010, the School Board of The Winnetka Public Schools District 36 took action to appoint Ms. Trisha Kocanda to the newly created position of Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, effective July 1, 2010. Previously structured as a director-level position, this new role was created based on the District's keen desire to advance children's education and the continual growth of its teaching staff.
Ms. Kocanda will be charged with leading ongoing development, improvement, and evaluation of the entire instructional program for the District, including key long-term initiatives such as the development of common assessments, improvements in differentiated instruction, and implementation of Response to Intervention practices. She will also coordinate ongoing teacher-led curriculum review cycles and conferencing/reporting evaluations, as well as coach and support building administrators in their roles as instructional leaders.
Currently, Ms. Kocanda serves as the executive director for curriculum and instruction for elementary North Shore School District 112 in Highland Park, a position she has held since 2008. In this role, she is responsible for all aspects of curriculum development across 12 elementary and middle schools. She also serves as the lead internal facilitator of District 112's strategic planning process, which involves 170 internal and community stakeholders.
Previously, Ms. Kocanda served as District 112's learning coordinator for curriculum and instruction, as well as associate principal of Edgewood Middle School. A former middle school classroom teacher in Arlington Heights District 25, she earned a B.S. in elementary education from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and a master's degree in educational leadership from Aurora University. In addition, she has been accepted in a doctoral program for educational leadership at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Ms. Kocanda's appointment by the Board follows a multiple-step interview process coordinated by Dr. Mark Friedman that involved the participation of teams of administrators, teachers, and other staff, as well as the screening of more than 80 applicants for the position. References characterized Ms. Kocanda as "an exemplary educator" who "astutely recognizes how to bring people together to lead curriculum development across multiple schools" and a "relationship-oriented leader who collaborates with people by listening and asking questions to gain deeper understanding."
The School Board welcomes Ms. Kocanda to The Winnetka Public Schools. We invite parents and the Winnetka community to meet her, newly appointed Carleton Washburne School Principal Dr. Cathy Rosen, and 2010-11 Co-Interim Superintendents Dr. Kenneth Cull and Dr. Mark Friedman, at a reception to be held Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at Carleton Washburne School, 515 Hibbard Road, from 6:30 - 8:00 P.M.
Ms. Kocanda will be charged with leading ongoing development, improvement, and evaluation of the entire instructional program for the District, including key long-term initiatives such as the development of common assessments, improvements in differentiated instruction, and implementation of Response to Intervention practices. She will also coordinate ongoing teacher-led curriculum review cycles and conferencing/reporting evaluations, as well as coach and support building administrators in their roles as instructional leaders.
Currently, Ms. Kocanda serves as the executive director for curriculum and instruction for elementary North Shore School District 112 in Highland Park, a position she has held since 2008. In this role, she is responsible for all aspects of curriculum development across 12 elementary and middle schools. She also serves as the lead internal facilitator of District 112's strategic planning process, which involves 170 internal and community stakeholders.
Previously, Ms. Kocanda served as District 112's learning coordinator for curriculum and instruction, as well as associate principal of Edgewood Middle School. A former middle school classroom teacher in Arlington Heights District 25, she earned a B.S. in elementary education from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and a master's degree in educational leadership from Aurora University. In addition, she has been accepted in a doctoral program for educational leadership at the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Ms. Kocanda's appointment by the Board follows a multiple-step interview process coordinated by Dr. Mark Friedman that involved the participation of teams of administrators, teachers, and other staff, as well as the screening of more than 80 applicants for the position. References characterized Ms. Kocanda as "an exemplary educator" who "astutely recognizes how to bring people together to lead curriculum development across multiple schools" and a "relationship-oriented leader who collaborates with people by listening and asking questions to gain deeper understanding."
The School Board welcomes Ms. Kocanda to The Winnetka Public Schools. We invite parents and the Winnetka community to meet her, newly appointed Carleton Washburne School Principal Dr. Cathy Rosen, and 2010-11 Co-Interim Superintendents Dr. Kenneth Cull and Dr. Mark Friedman, at a reception to be held Wednesday, June 9, 2010 at Carleton Washburne School, 515 Hibbard Road, from 6:30 - 8:00 P.M.
