ROGERS PARK — Parents, teachers and students at New Field Elementary School have begun their search for a new leader after beloved Principal Susan Kilbane resigned from her post late last month.
"It was really hard because everyone loves her in the school," said special education teacher Gladys Sosa at a Local School Council meeting Tuesday evening. "She did an excellent job. We're so proud of her because she was our model."
Kilbane said in a letter to parents in late January that she would resign from her position for "family and personal reasons."
"We understand she has a life, and we have to be respectful," Sosa said of her former boss.
Now, Sosa and her colleagues at New Field, which offers pre-kindergarten through third-grade classes, are ready to move on and begin the search for a new principal.
Sosa said she wants the new leader to be someone "who wants to work very closely with teachers."
Nyln Taylor, the chairwoman of New Field's Local School Council, who also has a child attending the school, said she was hopeful to find "the right person," but was unsure just how long that might take.
Taylor and the other council members were learning Tuesday night how the process of selecting a new principal works.
In future meetings, the council will accept applications and vet candidates before voting on a replacement.
"We need someone who is all about the kids," Taylor said, "someone who will work with the parents and staff to get what needs to be done for the children."
