A Message from the Superintendent
First 17 Weeks in District 41
Dear District 41 Community,
As I reflect on the past 17 weeks as the new superintendent for Glen Ellyn School District 41, I think about what defines leadership. In my humblest of opinion, leadership is about providing direction, acting with honesty, integrity, transparency, and courage. Leadership is about providing direction, finding common ground and artfully and skillfully make certain that we are all rowing the boat in the same direction. Leadership is about being the face and the voice of the district on behalf of every student, staff member and stakeholder.
So, what have I learned? I have learned that we are a high performing district that provides excellent programs and opportunities to our students...for our students. We add value to the community regardless of whether or not you have students in the district. We are one of the reasons people move to and stay in the five communities we serve. We are not the only reason but we certainly are one of the reasons. As with all organizations, we have areas where we need to dig deeper and challenge ourselves to get better. I will never say otherwise. There is no denying that our students are growing at rates that many other districts have not yet been able to achieve. That is a fact which is supported by multiple sources of data. While we cannot take all of the credit for the growth of our students, we can certainly say that we are part of the equation.
The gut-wrenching reality that all public school districts face on a daily basis is that 100% of our students do not experience the same level of success. They come to us from very different starting points with very different needs and very different life experiences. Regardless, we work tirelessly to educate all students who come through our doors. The commitment that we make in D41 is that we will never stop trying to be better for all kids. We devote a significant amount of resources to ongoing learning and professional development. This is how we fulfill our commitment to always keep getting better at what we do for all kids. After 32 years in this profession, the one thing that I can say for sure is that the process of learning and getting better will never be finished. There is no finish line. As the world changes, we have to change with it or we will fail to prepare kids for their future. Their future will look vastly different so we must acknowledge that fact or we are failing at our primary mission, at our reason for existing. We exist to prepare all students for a future that is filled with choices and opportunities.
I have learned that our community, our families, our staff members, and our Board of Education express a desire to move forward. I have also learned that everyone has a different definition of what that means. What it means to me is that we have to be willing to learn from the past and make a personal commitment to be different, to be better. I can say from a fresh perspective and objective lens that we need to focus all of our time, attention and resources on the work that we have ahead of us in order to do what is best for all children in District 41.
I opened this year with staff by sharing with them all of the reasons why I chose D41. I will forever be thankful that the Board chose me but it is important for everyone to know that I also chose D41. I chose D41 with my eyes wide open as to the challenges, the opportunities and the greatness that exists in D41. I chose this district because I know who I am as a leader and I know that I am committed enough and courageous enough to be the one who tries to move the district forward.
The D41 Board has committed to engaging in professional development so that we can forge a relationship that is anchored in governance and facts. This commitment is crucial to our success as a team of eight and crucial to the success of the district. I applaud them and I thank them for making this commitment.
We have exciting work ahead of us, including the development of a new Long-Range/Strategic Plan and seating student board members for the first time in District 41 history. I am excited about moving forward in a way that the community and students can be proud of.
Dr. Melissa Kaczkowski
Superintendent
Glen Ellyn School District 41
#District4every1
Glen Ellyn School District 41
Website: www.d41.org
Location: 793 North Main Street, Glen Ellyn, IL, USA
Phone: 630.790.6400
Facebook: facebook.com/glenellynd41
Twitter: @glenellynd41