Dear Julian Families and Staff,
We hope that you are enjoying your summer and that you and your students are looking forward to beginning a wonderful school year together. As the new interim principal of Julian Middle School, I am excited to introduce you to two key members of our newly restructured administrative team for the 2023-24 school year:
- Tequila Butler will serve as Associate Principal of Teaching, Learning and Arts. Ms. Butler comes to District 97 from the University of Pittsburgh’s Institute for Learning, where she led and coached teachers and administrators at 17 middle and high schools across Dallas Independent School District. For the last decade, Ms. Butler has served students in Dallas and Chicago in a variety of roles, including as a middle school assistant principal, dean of International Baccalaureate Humanities/ English Language Arts, and English Language Arts teacher. Click here for a full bio >>
- Dr. Mekita Whitfield will serve as Associate Principal of Climate, Culture and Athletics/Clubs. Dr. Whitfield comes to District 97 from nearby Maywood, where she served as dean of students at Irving Middle School for two years. In this role, she oversaw teams of teachers and students, led the Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (PBIS) program, served as athletic director and oversaw after-school clubs. Before becoming an administrator, Dr. Whitfield spent over 10 years teaching English in high schools and middle schools in and around Chicago. Click here for a full bio >>
Ms. Butler and Dr. Whitfield will support the day-to-day operations of Julian by working to ensure excellent core instruction and the daily integration of social/emotional support for all students, especially around their grade-level transitions. As part of the new middle school structure, Ms. Butler will oversee all arts programming and Dr. Whitfield will oversee all athletics and clubs.
Please join us in welcoming Ms. Butler and Dr. Whitfield to the Julian community! We look forward to seeing you and your students at our Welcome Night on Aug. 17. Please be on the lookout for more information regarding the 2023-24 school year in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
William Lee
Interim Principal
Julian Middle School
Dr. Luis Fernando De Leòn
Assistant Superintendent of Middle Schools
Oak Park Elementary District 97