Members of the School District U-46 leadership team were front and center Sept. 30 for the latest Aspiring Superintendents Forum. Launched in 2021 by NIU Department of Leadership, Educational Psychology and Foundations Associate Professor Ben Creed and Clinical Assistant Professor Lynn Gibson,
Read moreResearcher Rachel White presents work to NIU Aspiring Superintendents Forum
Research avenues that examine the superintendency are limitless – and winding. Just ask Rachel White. “When I ask a question, I think I’m going to find an answer,” White told about three dozen aspiring superintendents enrolled in NIU Ed.S. in Educational Administration
Read moreFour-time alumna Monica Schroeder ready, eager to become North Shore 112’s first Latina superintendent July 1, 2026
Monica Schroeder grew up attending a private school in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago and then parochial and public schools in north-suburban Skokie. She was a first-generation American with bilingual parents who immigrated to this country as teens; her father, Raul
Read moreAspiring Superintendents Forum offers tips for gaining, thriving in leader roles
How do superintendents establish good working relationships with the school boards they serve? How do they prioritize their to-do lists? How do they continue their professional development while on the job – or tend to their personal well-being? Such questions and more
Read moreEd.S. student Bridget Belcastro named Illinois Elementary Principal of the Year
Bridget Belcastro can’t forget the conversation. She was majoring in English at NIU, eager to become a teacher, and heard something thoroughly laughable as she and some classmates carpooled to Jefferson High School in Rockford. “I was a junior or a senior
Read moreTriple-alumna Jodi Megerle thriving in River Trails 26
Jodi Megerle is passionate about River Trails Elementary School District 26. “I love the size. I love that it’s so very close-knit,” says Megerle, a three-time NIU College of Education alumna. “Even when I was hired, and when we hire new teachers
Read moreAspiring superintendents gather online ‘after hours’ to enhance learning, circles
Colleen Cook and her fellow Ed.S. in Educational Administration students always enjoyed the presence of guest speakers from Clinical Assistant Professor Lynn Gibson’s professional network. Gibson, who led Hononegah Community High School District 207 from 2012 to 2018, and who recently served
Read moreAlumni Accomplishments
Congratulations to these alumni who are making a positive impact on the leadership and administration of education at all levels! Josh Barron, Ed.D. Educational Administration, ’12, and Ed.S. Educational Administration, ’06, has been named the next superintendent of Oak Lawn-based Community High
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