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When students return to school at East Peoria Community High School, they will not have a principal.
After Paul Whittington retired June 30 after 17 years in District 309, his position was not filled. Instead, the role of principal this year is being absorbed by a combination of an associate superintendent and a director of operations.
Superintendent Chuck Nagel said the reorientation of the role of principal, which has been divided among the two new positions and his role as well, will be a year-long process.
“We took the three positions and we divided them amongst the three different tittles in three different ways,” he said.
Nagel said he will be responsible for most of the finance, curriculum instruction assessment, human resources, overseeing the supervisors, and there are little jobs within each of those areas that they are going to help me with.
Over the summer, Josh Ebener and Lori Laredo were selected to fill the positions of associate superintendent and director of operations, respectively.
“The biggest portion of Josh’s job and Lori’s job is teacher evaluation. They’re going to split that,” Nagel said. “In the past, we used to split that amongst all our administrators, but in an effort to be more consistent and do a better job with that, we’re just going to have those two administrators do teacher evaluations.”
Nagel added that he and Ebener will each be responsible for portions of the principalship as well as the superintendency. Laredo will be responsible for coordinating all non-athletic district events, as well as risk management and school safety.
“I am a little nervous, as this position is new to me and new to the district,” Laredo said. “It will be kind of a fluid year, as Mr. Nagel, Mr. Ebener and I all work together filling the role of retired principal, Mr. Whittington. But as always, I look forward to the new school year, and seeing the students return.”
Laredo began her career in education at EPCHS in 1994 as a business teacher. She held many other roles at the high school including yearbook coordinator, junior varsity softball coach and was active in various committees including the parent/student/teacher discipline committee and the district leadership team. She was co-athletic director for two years beginning in 2004 and then took over as athletic director, a position she held for seven years.
Ebener comes to EPCHS with a masters’ degree in counseling, an administrative certificate and the superintendent’s endorsement. He has served as principal for the past 11 years at Fairfield Community High School. Prior to that, he taught high school social studies and coached tennis for 19 years.
When students return to school at East Peoria Community High School, they will not have a principal.
After Paul Whittington retired June 30 after 17 years in District 309, his position was not filled. Instead, the role of principal this year is being absorbed by a combination of an associate superintendent and a director of operations.
Superintendent Chuck Nagel said the reorientation of the role of principal, which has been divided among the two new positions and his role as well, will be a year-long process.
“We took the three positions and we divided them amongst the three different tittles in three different ways,” he said.
Nagel said he will be responsible for most of the finance, curriculum instruction assessment, human resources, overseeing the supervisors, and there are little jobs within each of those areas that they are going to help me with.
Over the summer, Josh Ebener and Lori Laredo were selected to fill the positions of associate superintendent and director of operations, respectively.
“The biggest portion of Josh’s job and Lori’s job is teacher evaluation. They’re going to split that,” Nagel said. “In the past, we used to split that amongst all our administrators, but in an effort to be more consistent and do a better job with that, we’re just going to have those two administrators do teacher evaluations.”
Nagel added that he and Ebener will each be responsible for portions of the principalship as well as the superintendency. Laredo will be responsible for coordinating all non-athletic district events, as well as risk management and school safety.
“I am a little nervous, as this position is new to me and new to the district,” Laredo said. “It will be kind of a fluid year, as Mr. Nagel, Mr. Ebener and I all work together filling the role of retired principal, Mr. Whittington. But as always, I look forward to the new school year, and seeing the students return.”
Laredo began her career in education at EPCHS in 1994 as a business teacher. She held many other roles at the high school including yearbook coordinator, junior varsity softball coach and was active in various committees including the parent/student/teacher discipline committee and the district leadership team. She was co-athletic director for two years beginning in 2004 and then took over as athletic director, a position she held for seven years.
Ebener comes to EPCHS with a masters’ degree in counseling, an administrative certificate and the superintendent’s endorsement. He has served as principal for the past 11 years at Fairfield Community High School. Prior to that, he taught high school social studies and coached tennis for 19 years.
“I am very excited to be a part of the administrative team at EPCHS,” Ebener said. “Superintendent Nagel and the staff has initiated several progressive changes at EP, such as FLEX, RtI, and incentives for teachers and students for high levels of achievement on the MAP Test. I feel honored to participate in these changes as we prepare students to be productive citizens in this challenging 21st Century.”
“I think the most confusing part for people is how can you have a school without a principal,” he said. “You do need to have a superintendent, but you don’t have to have a principal. Generally speaking, when somebody would think they need to get a hold of the principal for A, B, C or D, they would need to get a hold of me.”
While having a principal worked for the school in the past, Nagel said the new route “matches people to their strengths.”
The new system, he added, should not change the normal day-to-day functioning of the high school, but the change is a work in progress.
“There’s no gaps in this thing, I hope,” he said. “We’ll find out in time, I guess.”
