The Winnetka School Board is pleased to announce that Dr. Thomas Hagerman joined the District on July 1, 2011.

Dr. Hagerman has a distinguished career in education and served as the Superintendent in River Forest, IL District 90, another high-achieving K-8 district enrolling 1,350 students. Prior to joining District 90 three years ago, Dr. Hagerman served as the Superintendent of the K-12 Riverdale School District in Portland, Oregon for four years and as a middle school vice principal and principal in Beaverton, Oregon. He started his career as a teacher in the Portland Public Schools.

Dr. Hagerman's experience with and enthusiasm for progressive education principles make the Winnetka schools a natural fit for him.

From Dr. Hagerman:

Thank you for the warm welcome I’ve received since joining the District. I’ve enjoyed the chance to meet many of you as I’ve settled into my new position, and I look forward to engaging with many more of you in the coming weeks. Even in this short time, it is already clear to me that this is a community that cares passionately about its schools, and about creating a rich learning environment for every child—and this is a passion I share with all of you.

It’s also a core value of our terrific administrative team, which includes many familiar faces as well as several new ones. Dr. Susan Pingitore is the District’s new Chief Operating Officer; Dr. Daniel Ryan is the new principal of Hubbard Woods School; and Dr. Maureen Cheever is serving in her new role as the Director of Human Resources.

We’ve spent a busy summer starting to develop our priorities for the coming year, and I am extremely impressed by the talent, energy, and insight this group brings to the table.

Some of the goals we’ll be focused on in the coming months are:

• Building relationships with students, staff, and parents
• Bolstering communication across the district
• Working on current district initiatives in the areas of assessment, curriculum, and instruction
• Completing summer and ongoing construction and facilities projects
• Building capacity with the new leadership team and focusing on comprehensive staff development
• Working closely with the Board on a variety of initiatives, including developing a strategic planning process

This is an evolving list, of course, and as we make progress on these goals and identify new ones, we will be sharing them with you in greater detail throughout the year. Creating a superior education for our children truly is a collaborative effort, and building informed engagement is a vital part of that work.

In service,

Dr. Thomas Hagerman