It’s been a good year for Lincoln Hall Middle School’s principal Jean Weiss.
After announcing in May the end of her 25-year career with Lincolnwood School District 74 after next school year, the longtime principal was honored June 21 as the Lincolnwood Human Relations Commission’s Person of the Year.
The commission chooses one person each year who has excelled as a leader and has dedicated time toward a significant accomplishment or made a meaningful contribution to public service, according to information from the Human Relations Commission.
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“Weiss helps provide educational enrichment to our community,” Paul Kramer of the Human Relations Commission said during the award presentation ceremony at Village Hall.
“Weiss has always been open to opportunities that increase student awareness of the diversity of the student population, and she’s provided an environment where students are encouraged to reach their potential,” Kramer said while reading excerpts from two letters endorsing Weiss for the honor.
Weiss started her career at District 74 as a reading interventionist, and later worked as a special education teacher before she was tapped to become principal of Todd Hall. She spent the largest part of her years at District 74 at Rutledge Hall, where she led the school for about 15 years, she said. She left Rutledge Hall two years ago to become principal at Lincoln Hall.
During her time with the school district, she started an annual Veteran’s Day assembly that invited war veterans to come speak to students at Rutledge and Lincoln Hall, and was committed to maintaining activities throughout the school year to increase students’ awareness of diversity, Kramer said.
Loud applause and cheers broke out among the large group of people packed inside Village Hall for the awards ceremony, where longtime Lincolnwood resident Paul Eisterhold shared the spotlight with Weiss as the honoree of the 2016 Madeleine Grant Volunteer of the Year Award.
“I spend a lot of time here, and I have greatly enjoyed all the wonderful experiences I’ve had in the community—this is a great honor,” Weiss said.
Lincolnwood Mayor Jerry Turry thanked Weiss for her service to the community during the past two decades.
“She’s a wonderful principal and a beacon of hope for young people,” Turry said.
Natalie Hayes is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.