The Evanston/Skokie School District 65 board this week named three new principals and a new director of special services.

Orrington

Renaud Beaudoin will be the new principal at Orrington Elementary School. He’s been principal at the Walter L. Newberry Mathematics and Science Academy in Chicago since 1995 and began his career as a teacher in the Chicago Public Schools in 1973.

Beaudoin completed his administrative endorsement coursework at Chicago State University and post-graduate coursework in business administration at Chicago State University and DePaul University. He received a master’s in History from Chicago State University in 1978 and a bachelor’s in Education from DePaul in 1971.

Bessie Rhodes

Adrian Harries Jr. will be the new principal at Bessie Rhodes Magnet School. Harries replaces Jason Ewing, who served as interim principal during the 2009-2010 school year.

Harries has been principal at Lynne Thigpen Elementary School in Joliet since 2007 and previously was an assistant principal in the Joliet schools. He taught social studies in the Waukegan public schools from 1999 through 2005.

He received a master’s in educational leadership from National-Louis University in 2005 and a bachelor’s in education from the University of Illinois in Urbana in 1999.

Willard

Jerry Michel will be the new principal at Willard Elementary School. Michel replaces Shelley Carey, who is resigning at the end of the 2009-2010 school year.

Michel has served as the assistant principal at Lincoln Hall Middle School in Lincolnwood since 2007. He was director of professional development for Gretchen Courtney and Associates in St. Charles from 2005 to 2007. He began his teaching career in 1997 as an intermediate grade teacher for Skokie School District 68

He received a certificate of advanced study in educational leadership from National-Louis University in August 2006, a master’s in elementary education from the University of South Florida in 1993 and a bachelor’s in English from Western Carolina University in 1986.

Special Services

Margie Lenoir-Davis will be the new director of special services for the district. She replaces Geneva Oatman, who resigned from employment with District 65.

Lenoir-Davis has been interim director of special services since last September. and was assistant director before that.

She was a special services supervisor from 1994 to 2008 and an inclusion facilitator and cross-categorical teacher before that. She started working for District 65 in 1983.

She completed her administrative certificate requirements at Northeastern Illinois University in 1994, received a master’s in guidance and counseling from Western Michigan University in 1985 and a bachelor’s in special education from Eastern Michigan University.

All the appointments are effective July 1.

Bill Smith is the editor and publisher of Evanston Now.

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2 Comments

  1. Internal problems at D65?
    D65 just hired five new principals this year.

    That seems like a high turnover rate. What’s going on?

  2. You must be quite new to Evanston
    The principal turnover rate at District 65 has been fairly high in comparison to our surrounding districts for many years.

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