It is with great pleasure that I am able to take this opportunity to welcome you to the 2010-11 school year. I, Dr. Mark Friedman, along with my colleague Dr. Ken Cull, will serve The Winnetka Public Schools community as Co-Superintendents for the upcoming school year. Combined, Ken and I bring almost fifty years of leadership and experience to the office of Superintendent.

We are excited to introduce several new members of our Administrative Team to be added to the talented group of leaders already in place in District 36. Julie Pfeffer has moved to the position of Principal of Crow Island School while Deirdre Churchill is on family leave. Trisha Kocanda will have the expanded title and responsibility of Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment. Cathy Rosen will join us as the new Carleton Washburne School Principal. The retirement of Human Resources Director Darlene Larson has enabled us to welcome Beth Luther as the new Director of Human Resources. And finally, the retirement of The Skokie School Assistant Principal Mike Fahrenbacher has allowed us to move part-time Assistant Principal Alison Hawley into a full-time Assistant Principal role.

Taken all together, this represents a change of more than 50% of District 36 administrative positions. We feel these changes will have a positive and profound effect on children, staff, and families in District 36.

The first thing that the entire leadership team will have to do is go about the process of meeting as many Winnetka stakeholders as possible. In addition, immediate attention will need to be focused on the already established goals for District 36. These goals encompass the following:

• Provide a developmentally appropriate progressive education that advances students’ love of learning, intellectual growth, and social-emotional character
• Deliver a cohesive K–8 curricular experience that prepares students for continued academic and personal success
• Lead high quality staff who cultivate learning and engagement in every classroom
• Communicate in a manner that fosters trust and understanding
• Manage resources efficiently to sustain educational excellence, balanced by fiscal constraint

Ken and I look forward to a truly successful and exciting 2010–11 school year!

Sincerely,
Dr. Mark Friedman
Dr. Ken Cull
Interim Co-Superintendents

About the Co-Superintendents

Dr. Mark Friedman, retired Superintendent of the Libertyville, Illinois District 70 will serve as Interim Co-Superintendent in District 36 for the upcoming school year. Since January 2010, Dr. Friedman has served as a special projects consultant in the District, providing administrative support to assist in the implementation of key initiatives, including teacher supervision and development, differentiated classroom practices, and principal coaching. In a letter to the community, the School Board noted that “We have been pleased with his team-building ability, as well as the demonstration of his strong knowledge of teacher and principal leadership since joining the District.”

Dr. Ken Cull, retired Superintendent of the Itasca, Illinois District 10 Schools, will serve as Interim Co-Superintendent in District 36 for the upcoming school year. After his retirement in June 2008, Dr. Cull served as Interim Superintendent of Skokie/Morton Grove School District 69 during the 2008–10 school years. He has more than forty years of experience as an educator, including thirty years with Schaumburg School District 54, where he started as a junior high math teacher and advanced to Associate Superintendent. Dr. Cull began his career at Joliet School District 86.