Suzie Hackmiller, the principal of Oliver Wendell Holmes Elementary School, has resigned to work as principal at Harmony Elementary School in Kentucky, District 97 officials announced in a statement released yesterday.
The Oak Park District 97 Board of Education accepted Hackmiller’s resignation during a meeting on Tue. July 28. At the same meeting, the board approved the appointment of John McCauley as the school’s interim principal. McCauley will serve as interim throughout the 2015-16 academic year while D97 officials search for Hackmiller’s permanent replacement.
“I want to thank Suzie Hackmiller for the tremendous passion and steadfast leadership she exhibited throughout her tenure here […],” D97 Superintendent Carol Kelley noted in a statement. “While I did not have the opportunity to work with Suzie, it is clear from my conversations with others that she is greatly respected and admired for her innovative approach to education and tireless advocacy on behalf of children. We commend her for her dedicated service, and wish her all the best in her new position.”
According to Kelley, McCauley — who has been a teacher and student support specialist for the last 10 years — was selected to temporarily replace Hackmiller because his “skills, knowledge and expertise will enable us to maintain a strong sense of continuity in the building during this critical transition period, while also helping us meet the needs of our students and their families.”
Kelley also noted that appointing an interim principal “will afford us ample time to conduct a formal and comprehensive search to find a permanent replacement for the position. As part of this search, which we anticipate will begin following the first of the year, we will work closely and collaboratively with our various stakeholders to identify a candidate who will build on Holmes’ tradition of excellence and help our students learn, grow and achieve.”
