District 97 Superintendent Al Roberts was hepped up at the prospect of hiring one 21st-century middle-school principal after Victoria Sharts announced some while ago that she would retire from Percy Julian Middle School this summer. Now comes word that Tom Sindelar, principal of Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School, is also leaving his post when this school year ends in June.
We wish both Sharts and Sindelar well. Sindelar came into a tough situation when he followed a controversial principal at Brooks and he brought a congenial, though not bold, manner to his job. But in a district where the elementary schools are most often rated highly and the middle schools are, perhaps inevitably, suspect, we’re ready to see both these schools get dynamic new leadership.
Before those hires are made, it is important to consider what Roberts means when he talks about hauling these schools into the new century. He is specific about not trashing the current incarnations of the middle schools. But he is also clear in saying that he is looking for middle schools that are more academically ambitious while still paying attention to the social development of students in this most transitional phase of life. He wants to bring technology more fully into instruction, focus on creative curriculum initiatives and work to improve teaching skills across the full range of students. He also has plans, already in the works, to reconnect parents with the schools at a moment when both kids and adults may be looking to distance themselves.
This is a unique opportunity for the superintendent to take his clear vision of a modern middle school and make it real through the hiring of innovative, decisive leaders.