The La Grange Elementary District 102 Board has hired a new principal for Congress Park School in Brookfield.
Claudia Jimenez, former principal of Columbus West School in Cicero District 99, will begin her new role on July 31 at a $118,000 annual salary.
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She is filling a vacancy left by Terry Dutton, who served as Congress Park’s principal for the past five years. Dutton left to pursue interests, said Stephanie Fordice, commuications coordinator for the district.
Jimenez was selected after an interview process that included parents, staff and administrators.
Superintendent Kyle Schumacher said Jimenez’s background, commitment to parent and community involvement and dedication to student learning will be an asset to the Congress Park community.
“Mrs. Jimenez is an experienced educational leader with a strong belief that all children can thrive,” said Schumacher.
Jimenez has spent her entire career in Cicero Elementary District 99 and served as the principal of Columbus West School since 2010. She also was principal of Roosevelt School from 2006 through 2010.
In District 99, Jimenez piloted a bilingual education program, was a member of the district-level dual language committee, worked in collaboration with the district’s leadership team and assisted in the development of common assessments in both English and Spanish. She also developed an informal observation tool to assist in the implementation of a schoolwide literacy framework.
Jimenez was first employed in District 99 in 2000 in the role of school social worker. She began her career as a bilingual kindergarten teacher at Wilson School in 1997.
She is a graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in social work. She earned her administrative certificate at Lewis University in 2003.
She is looking forward to building new relationships with the Congress Park School community, and working to meet students’ needs. She also looks forward to the implementation of a dual language program at the school next year.
“I have always been passionate about dual language programs and their success with developing biliteracy skills in students and overall student achievement,” she said.
She is a resident of Chicago and is fluent in Spanish. Jimenez and her husband, Derrick, have one daughter.
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