Schools

New Superintendent Announced for Winnetka's D36 Schools

Superintendent Dr. Thomas Hagerman has accepted a new position out of state. Assistant Superintendent Trisha Kocanda will be taking over July 1.

The following is a letter sent to the District 36 community Monday evening announcing a new superintendent:

Dear Winnetka Public Schools Parents, Teachers, Staff and Community:

I am writing today to inform you that Winnetka Public Schools District 36 Superintendent Dr. Thomas Hagerman has accepted a position as superintendent of Scarsdale Union Free School District, a 4,700-student K-12 school district in a northern suburb of New York. The District 36 Board of Education will take formal action at its March 25 meeting to accept Dr. Hagerman's resignation, which will become effective June 30, 2014. 

Because Dr. Hagerman had previously advised us of his candidacy for the Scarsdale, NY superintendency, we had already begun leadership transition planning and will also take action at our March 25 meeting to appoint the District's current Assistant Superintendent of Personnel & Educational Programming, Ms. Trisha Kocanda, as our next superintendent.

During his three years as superintendent of District 36, Dr. Hagerman has built a strong administrative team committed to progressive education. He provided leadership for the development of a five-year strategic plan and offered valuable guidance in the creation of the school finance philosophy that resulted in more than $2 million in taxpayer savings, while maintaining the academic excellence of our educational programs and services. These and his many other professional accomplishments made Dr. Hagerman an attractive candidate for Scarsdale, and we wish him well in his new position.  

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We are appreciative of Dr. Hagerman's assurance that he will do everything he can to ensure a smooth transition for Winnetka's future by working closely with Ms. Kocanda in the remaining months of the 2013-2014 academic year to ensure that our District's child-centered education and focus on student success continue uninterrupted.

For those of you who do not yet know her, Ms. Kocanda joined Winnetka Public Schools in 2010, and her duties currently include curriculum, instruction, assessment, teacher recruitment and professional development. During her tenure at District 36, Ms. Kocanda has established a district-wide curriculum review process centered on teacher leadership, redesigned the District's now nationally-recognized World Language program and implemented a revised mathematics program aligned to Common Core State Standards. She also coordinated Winnetka Public Schools 2012 summer institute, a professional development program that focused on progressive educators in the 21st century. She is an exemplary educator and relationship-oriented leader who shares our community's deep commitment to Winnetka Public Schools' mission to develop learners who are compassionate citizens, contribute to their community, and are well-prepared for a dynamic future.  

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Prior to joining District 36, Ms. Kocanda worked for five years in North Shore School District 112, serving in a variety of roles including executive director of curriculum and instruction, learning coordinator and associate principal of Edgewood Middle School. She started her career as a classroom teacher and summer school principal in Arlington Heights School District 25. Ms. Kocanda earned a bachelor of science degree in elementary education from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and a master's degree in educational leadership from Aurora University. She has completed all coursework and is currently working on her dissertation for a doctoral degree in education at UIUC, with anticipated completion in summer 2015.

Having had the privilege of working with Winnetka's students for the past four years, Ms. Kocanda knows that their potential is unlimited and their enthusiasm infectious. She has developed positive working relationships with our administrative team and the talented educators on our teaching staff, and knows how much our parents and community value our schools and the District's rich tradition of cultivating academic challenge, creative and independent thinking, and lifelong learning. I am confident you will agree that Ms.Kocanda has both the professional experience and strong communications skills necessary to succeed as the next superintendent of Winnetka Public Schools.

I hope that you will join the Board of Education in thanking Dr. Hagerman for his service and in welcoming Ms. Kocanda to her new role as superintendent of The Winnetka Public Schools at receptions to be scheduled later this spring. 

In the meantime, thank you for your ongoing support of Winnetka Public Schools and our students.

Sincerely,

Jon Kaplan

President, Board of Education


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