LAKEVIEW — Kicking off what could be a year-long search for the new leader of Lake View High School, officials met last week to discuss options as Chicago Public Schools face a exodus of principals and staff.
The Local School Council opted to meet with some interim principal hopefuls in another meeting Thursday. Afterward, it will decide whether CPS should appoint an interim principal for about a year as it selects a new permanent principal.
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With critical budget decisions due this summer, "there needs to be a principal" at Lake View by July 1, said Philip Salemi, chief of the network of CPS schools that includes Lake View. Whether that role is filled with an interim principal or a short-term acting principal is up to the council, he said.
But, he warned, a good principal is in high demand this summer. Nearby, Lane Tech, Schurz and Foreman high schools are losing their principals. Palmer, Blaine, Edison Park and Inter-American elementary schools also have searches underway.
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A week ago, CPS officials blamed unequal state education funding for the educator exodus. But the Chicago Teachers Union said some fault should be laid at CPS' feet.
Still, Salemi said there is definite interest in Lake View's principal job.
"My phone has been blowing up" with inquiries, he said. "Lake View is a beacon in this network."
Lake View's three assistant principals have all indicated interest in the school's top job. Complicating matters, none of them applied to join the pool of CPS interim principals before the late spring deadline, rendering them ineligible until October.
Lake View High School sits on the border of Lakeview and Uptown at 4015 N. Ashland Ave. [DNAinfo/Ariel Cheung]
If the LSC decides against appointing an interim principal, Salemi said he can appoint acting principals for period of 100 days of work. Acting principals, typically retired administrators, don't have power over staffing changes, while an interim principal would.
But being an interim principal means leaving any current job, making it unlikely anyone would be interested in filling the role for less than a full school year.
Either way, members of the Lake View community stressed last week that any leader must continue on the path set by outgoing principal Scott Grens.
"This is by far the best administration we've had in 10 years," said physical education teacher Ryan Goldflies. "We've had too much growth to have any setbacks. We've got to keep it going."
Outgoing Lake View High School Principal Scott Grens at an LSC meeting. [DNAinfo/Erica Demarest]
Under the leadership of Grens and predecessor Lilith Werner, Lake View has risen, from boosts in its district quality ranking and test scores to the public's perception of the STEM school.
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In a survey, two-thirds of Lake View staff who responded said they felt Lake View had improved under the current leadership team. Half called for an immediate start to the principal search, with the hopes to enlisting someone by the start of the 2016-17 school year.
Despite losing Grens, teachers at the meeting said keeping all three assistant principals would be key to maintaining the school's burgeoning profile and strong sense of teamwork.
But as math teacher Ernest Richter pointed out, "one of the best ways to keep the team in place would have been to let the assistant principals know they should get their name on that list" of eligible interim principals.
"It leave us in an awkward position," Richter said. "If a new person is hired, they could change the whole team."
Currently, assistant principal Angela Newton coordinates the STEM program and leads the college prep team. Tony Vast-Binder oversees instruction, and Meghan Sovell handles counseling, security and supplies.
The LSC could quickly narrow its candidate list to the three assistant principals, Salemi said. After the job opening is posted for 10 days, the council is only required to consider every application before embarking on the selection process however it sees fit.
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