New Superintendent Of District 152 ½ Wants To Create Supportive Environment For Students And Teachers
New Superintendent Of District 152 ½ Wants To Create Supportive Environment For Students And Teachers
By Tia Carol Jones
Education found Dr. Cynthia Levy as a second career. She began as a Language Arts Instructor at Fenger High School in 2002. Twelve years later she has been appointed as the Superintendent of Hazel Crest School District 152 ½.
While CPS is a larger school district, with a more corporate feel, Levy finds school districts in the Southland more intimate and close-knit. Levy is using her experience, working at Chicago Public Schools, Bremen School District 228 and Rich Township School District 227 as she moves into her new role, which will be effective on July 1st.
She has been able to see the entire district in her current role as the Director of Teaching and Learning. It has given her insight on what every child needs and has enabled her to provide curricular, as well as social emotional needs, while ensuring there is a connection made between the school district and families. She said that experience has well prepared her to be Superintendent.
Levy’s vision for the district is to continue to provide a very engaging learning experience for students and continuing to support teachers in improving their practice. She said this will affect the growth and overall school experience for students.
“Dr. Levy is exactly what our district needs in this new era of education. Her passion, vision, and extensive experience makes her the perfect leader to drive the transformative changes we aspire to achieve. I am confident that we will see great advancements in our educational standards and community engagement under her leadership,” Hazel Crest School District 152 ½ Board President Dean Barnett said in a release.
Hazel Crest School District 152 ½ is currently looking for teachers, much like most teachers across the state of Illinois, which is experiencing a teacher shortage. The ideal teacher candidate for the school district, according to Levy, is someone who has a heart for children, wants children to learn, who is open to learning themselves and who can come to the table with tools that will help support students to learn and grow.
“You really truly have to like being in the educational setting. It’s a tough business to be in, but you also have to find the good and the silver lining in it. Every day might not be the best day but it is a rewarding career overall,” Levy said. She added that the district is looking for teachers in math and science.
To prepare to go into the role on July 1st, Levy and the district are doing their summer planning. The district is doing robust professional development with its teachers so they
will be prepared to walk into the classroom with at least two to three months of lesson plans. The goal is for the teachers to hit the ground running with their school on the first day of the new school year.
One of Levy’s goals is to create a learning environment that is a destination. She said she will do that through the hiring process, looking for teachers that are ready to roll up their sleeves and support the students. She also plans to do that by having a quality salary to pay the teachers when they come into the district. She wants to meet or exceed what other elementary school districts in the area are paying. She also wants to change the narrative about what education is.
“We want the joy of the job to be what we talk about the most. There are so many bright spots we have and so many wonderful students that leave us and go on to medical school,” Levy said. She added there is a student who graduated from the district who is going to college to study medicine.
Levy wants the parents and students to know the school district cares about students, will teach and support the students, along with the families of those students.
For more information about Hazel Crest School District 152 ½, visit www.sd1525.org.
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