River Forest School District 90 has a new superintendent.
At its Tuesday meeting, the board of education unanimously approved Janice Pavelonis to replace Dr. Edward Condon, who will retire June 30 after 15 years.
Pavelonis is currently in her fifth year as superintendent of downstate Carbondale Elementary District 95. She has a doctorate in education leadership from Southern Illinois University and a master’s degree in education administration from Murray State University.
“We had a large number of applicants,” said Katie Avalos, school board president. “This was a very competitive process, and there were many strong candidates. For me, Janice rose to the top certainly because of her amazing experience, but also what came through was her leadership style – a real commitment to working collaboratively, prioritization of clear communication and a focus on relationship building.”
Pavelonis will inherit a high-performing district.
With a score of 85.36, Lincoln Elementary School earned Exemplary status for the third year in a row according to the Illinois Report Card released last November by the Illinois State Board of Education. Willard Elementary School (86.17) was declared Exemplary for the fourth straight year, which are schools that rank in the top 10% of the state. The next 67% are considered Commendable, which is what Roosevelt Middle School earned.
However, the district is also mired in teacher contract negotiations with the River Forest Education Association. The sides were unable to come to terms on a new contract at a mediation session last week after coming to a tentative agreement in December that was not ratified by RFEA membership. As a result, the district said it will begin the public posting process with the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board.
The public comment section of Tuesday’s meeting included RFEA co-presidents Cindy Crannell and Lauren Ortiz, who noted that “our educators want to settle a contract. They want stability, closure and the ability to fully focus on their students.”
Pavelonis recognized the issue in her comments later in the meeting.
“(I) definitely have a lot of experience that I hope is helpful as we navigate this sense of healing together, which is clearly obvious in tonight’s comments and the current state of things,” she said. “I look forward to bringing my expertise to the table and getting to know all of you, the district, the community, the amazing teachers and, of course, the students.”
According to a district press release, Pavelonis served as the assistant superintendent of curriculum and instruction in District 95, along with director of professional learning for the Regional Office of Education No. 30.
Additionally, she advised hundreds of statewide school district leaders on maximizing student outcomes for the Illinois Center for School Improvement. Earlier in her career she also served as a classroom teacher for kindergarten, third, fourth, fifth and eighth grades.
“I am excited that Janice Pavelonis will become the next superintendent of District 90,” said board secretary Dr. Eric Isenberg. “She not only brings the experience as a classroom teacher and an administrator, including as superintendent of an elementary district in Illinois, but also has the valuable experience of having spent four years implementing data-driven, research-backed improvement plans for 130 Illinois districts, and continues to keep herself current and on the cutting edge of education research.
“She will be an extraordinary superintendent for District 90.”
Last August the board hired Libertyville-based superintendent search firm BWP & Associates to kick off the process formally. There were about 50 applicants for the post.
“The board approached the search with great care and purpose, beginning early, gathering input from staff and families, and devoting many hours to interviewing a strong pool of candidates,” Condon said. “Their thoughtful process led them to an outstanding new superintendent who will continue to build on the district’s many strengths.”
Of course, the beginning of a new chapter marks the end of another.
“It’s obviously bittersweet and a big transition for the district, but it is one of those times it is exciting and I do feel like you’re going to be a great fit for us,” Avalos said to Pavelonis.
Board member Josh Ehart agreed.
“Change is always good if it’s done well,” he said. “I have no doubt you’ll bring all of yourself and your experience to the district. I think it provides us a new opportunity to really reset.”
