Dr. Ushma Shah resigned Aug. 15 as superintendent of Oak Park Elementary School District 97 due to a “confluence of reasons,” according to her resignation letter which Wednesday Journal obtained Monday via a Freedom of Information Act request.
The letter, addressed to the D97 Board of Education, stated a central reason “is that we do not have the level of mutual respect and mutual confidence that I need in order to continue in this role.”
Further, she said that the board had made it clear immediately following its Aug. 12 regular meeting that it “will move forward with what I understand to be punitive action that will further set us back in terms of trust and collaboration.
“The board has informed me that the direction you have outlined with your outside legal counsel will not be revised and is non-negotiable.”
Shah did not respond to a Wednesday Journal text Monday seeking further insights about what potential punitive action was to be meted out.
The district provided what it termed its only statement on the matter after providing the resignation letter to Wednesday Journal.
“We appreciate the vision Dr. Shah brought to District 97 and extended her contract this past spring with the intent to continue our work together,” the district statement said. “Consistent with that intent, the board sought to provide timely support and feedback on aspects of her leadership. The board did not seek to take any punitive action, and we did not ask her to resign. Her decision on Aug. 12 to step down was unexpected and we wish her well in her next chapter.
“We understand that the news of Dr. Shah’s departure came as a surprise and has raised questions within our community. We are sharing what we can while striving to respect Dr. Shah’s privacy, as we do with all personnel matters. We remain focused on supporting our students, staff and families, and our priority as a district continues to be a strong start to the 2025-26 school year.”
Shah said in her letter she planned to leave the district “in a respectful way.”
“I imagine you would like to employ a superintendent that you see and believe in just as much as I would like to be employed under those kinds of positive conditions. I am resigning in hopes that we might both get closer to what we are seeking.”
The board voted to accept Shah’s resignation at a special board meeting Aug. 18 and also voted to appoint Dr. Griff Powell and Dr. Patricia Wernet co-interim superintendents for the 2025-26 school year, beginning Sept. 15. The board also appointed Patrick Robinson, district assistant superintendent of elementary schools, as acting superintendent until Powell and Wernet begin.
Shah had received a two-year contract extension in May and the matter was not discussed at the Aug. 12 regular board meeting, where Shah was in attendance.
A prior district press release said that her accomplishments included guiding the district through post-pandemic challenges, negotiating a new contract with the Oak Park Teachers Association (OPTA), and creation of the Portrait of an Oak Park 8th Grade Graduate.
