NORTH PARK — Kelly Mest, assistant principal at Lindblom Math & Science Academy, has been named the new principal at Northside College Prep, effective Nov. 1.
The announcement was made late Tuesday night by the school's Local School Council.
"The goal of the LSC was to find an innovative and passionate leader who would preserve the unique culture of Northside while continuing to push the school forward as a leader in best practices in education. That leader was found in Ms. Mest," according to the council's statement.
Mest is a National Board Certified Teacher with a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Illinois and a master's degree in education from DePaul University.
She was a founding member of Northside's faculty in 1999 and served as chairwoman of the high school's English department from 2001 to 2004.
She's been an assistant principal at Lindblom since 2008, where in addition to her administrative duties, she continued to teach in order to stay engaged in her field, according to Chicago Public Education Fund Quarterly.
Among Mest's qualifications that impressed the council: "Her leading role in Lindblom’s partnership with Baxter International, which has brought resources and opportunities in biotechnology to both Lindblom as well as other CPS schools."
Mest said in a statement she is "thrilled to have been chosen to lead the extraordinary high school that is Northside College Prep.
"I view Northside not only as the No. 1 ranking high school in Illinois, but truly as a model for the 21st century classroom for schools in the city, the state and the nation. The future of education is Northside, and I am so excited to be a part of it.”
