The Evanston/Skokie District 65 School Board this week approved the appointment of an elementary school principal and a central office administrator who had been serving in an “interim” capacity.
Michelle Cooney was officially named principal at Lincoln Elementary School and Stacy Beardsley was named executive director of curriculum and instruction for the district. The two appointments take effect on July 1.
Ms. Cooney served as Lincoln’s Interim Principal this past school year and the school’s Assistant Principal since 2013. Before coming to District 65, she served as Interim Principal and Assistant Principal at LEARN Charter School Network for one year and Director of Literacy at Suder Magnet Montessori School in Chicago Public Schools for two years.
She also has an extensive background in literacy, having served as a Director of Literacy, Intermediate Literacy Coordinator, and Fifth Grade Literacy Teacher. Ms. Cooney received a Master of Arts in Administration and Supervision from National-Louis University, a Master of Science in Elementary Education from Northwestern University, and a Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education from Northwestern University.
Dr. Beardsley’s work has primarily been focused on professional learning, literacy, and technology while also increasing the level of support for the curriculum and instruction team. She was instrumental in working with teachers on the development of the district’s K-3 literacy framework and currently leads the technology discovery effort for the district.
Prior to her interim role this past school year, Dr. Beardsley was most recently the leader and Chief Academic Officer (CAO) for Civitas Education Partners, a school management organization, in the City of Chicago. This organization is responsible for managing four Chicago International Charter School (CICS) campuses totaling 2,500 students. Her responsibilities included oversight of operations, finance, human resources, and academics, including curriculum and instruction, student supports, and leadership development.
Dr. Beardsley earned a BA in economics from Boston College, an M.Ed. in curriculum and instruction from Loyola University, and an EdD in Urban Educational Leadership from the University of Illinois Chicago.