OLD TOWN — The selection process to replace one of the top Chicago Public Schools principals is going smoothly, according to members of the LaSalle Language Academy local school council.
The principal, Elisabeth Heurtefeu, made waves when she announced her decision to leave at the end of the year was due largely in part because of mandates she thought resulted in students being over-tested at the school.
Heurtefeu has been assisting LaSalle's local school council in its process to select her replacement.
The local school council must chose Heurtefeu's successor from a CPS "principal pool" of pre-screened candidates deemed eligible by the school district.
The local school council has already considered about 18 resumes and is working to narrow the candidates to two or three before bringing them before a community meeting.
Members of the school council at LaSalle, which is a magnet school, attempted to dissuade Heurtefeu from leaving, but the principal said she took six months to come to the decision, and she considers it final.
The school community was concerned about that decision at first, but the selection process has been going well, according to John Falck, a member of LaSalle's local school council.
"People are feeling more comfortable with how it's working out," Falck said.
The LSC's principal selection process includes multiple interviews with candidates before a forum with finalists which is open to the community.
The LSC anticipates pairing down the candidates by the end of April or early May.
"It's obviously a very important decision to make and requires a tremendous amount of time and commitment," said Keith Thomas, co-chair of LaSalle's local school council.
Thomas, who has twins in fifth grade at LaSalle, said the search is going well.
"It's nice that we haven't had to scramble," he said. "Ms. Heurtefeu was nice in giving us time. I'd hate to go through everything we've gone through in a month."
The LSC will award a four-year contract to the principal of its choice.
Heurtefeu's contract is up at the end of this school year.
"She has many significant accomplishments and the school is running great, so I think it's very reasonable for her to think about what she wants to do to further her career," Falck said.
Heurtefeu, who has a unique perspective on the education system as she taught in both Paris and Chicago, blamed federal testing mandates in her decision to leave CPS.
"I am a person who has always done things that are aligned to what I believe in, and that’s why I can no longer do something that’s not aligned to what I believe in, even though it’s a special school," she said of LaSalle.
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