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player ready...After an exhaustive search that drew 29 candidates, the Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 Board of Education has selected a veteran superintendent as the district’s next leader.
During a Dec. 15 meeting at Maple School in Northbrook, the board voted unanimously in favor of naming, Emily Tammaru, as the new superintendent in District 30. Tammaru will take over the reins of the district from outgoing superintendent Brian Wegley starting July 1, 2023. Wegley announced his June 30, 2023 retirement to the board last February.
“Usually I’d ask if there’s further discussion, but I think we’ve had all of our discussions,” said board president Nancy Artz. “There’s no issue whatsoever.”
Tammaru has served as the Superintendent of Community Consolidated School District 89 since 2016, according to a release from District 30. It said that District 89 serves nearly 2,300 students in Pre-K to 8th grade from Glen Ellyn, Lombard, and Wheaton, and that the district includes four elementary schools and one middle school.
During her time at District 89, the district brought the community together to revise the strategic plan that guides the district’s work, created a “Student Board Member” program to increase student voice and added an after-school tutoring program for at-risk students, said the release. It also said Tammaru brings to District 30 a “collaborative, student-first approach to leading a district with consistently high academic achievement and that her 27 years in education include 18 years of administration.”
Artz said the board of education conducted a long and thorough process to identify Tammaru as the new superintendent and that it did extensive interviews with three finalists to “identify our next leader.”
“It took a lot of effort and a lot of time,” she said. “It’s one of our primary responsibilities as a board of education.”
“Dr. Tammaru impressed the Board with her exceptional interpersonal skills, ability to build strong working relationships, outstanding leadership skills, and focus on identifying opportunities for innovation,” Artz said.
Tammaru was at the Dec. 15 District 30 board meeting and said one of her top priorities is to meet everyone in the district. She also said she is excited to come to a school district that has a “long tradition of excellence focused on the whole child. Not just academic excellence of course, but also nurturing the emotional and social well being of our students.”
“Thank you so much for the opportunity and trust in selecting me,” she said. “Every single person that I have met so far has been incredible welcoming and every single person has had a passion and love for students, for staff for families and this district. I just keep hearing about how this district is like a little family, which warms my heart.”
She also said she looks forward to working with all the “stake holders” to build on a strong foundation that is already established in District 30.
“It’s evident that the teachers here are excellent and have a passion for teaching,” she said.
Danielle Pollack, has a child in District 30 and one at Glenbrook North High School. She was at the Dec. 15 board meeting and said that she’s looking forward to hearing Tammaru’s thoughts and ideas as the district moves into a post pandemic world, among other things.
“We will definitely have to deal with the growing size of the district, new developments increasing enrollment is something to consider making sure we have all the space and the class sizes stay low is important,” Pollack said. “Just making sure we have a solid education in this district like we’ve always had would be great. “
She also offered Tammaru some advice. “Be open to listening to the community,” she said. “Be receptive. Be responsive and the community in turn will be supportive.”
Brian L. Cox is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.