Faith Cole has resigned as the principal of Mann Elementary School to assume the role of director of the Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) for the district. The District 97 Board of Education is expected to accept her resignation from Mann and approve her appointment to the director position during its meeting on July 16. The board is also expected to approve the appointment of Cheryl Sullivan as the interim principal for Mann for the 2019-20 school year during that same meeting.
Below is a statement from Superintendent Carol Kelley regarding these announcements.
During the past five years, Faith Cole’s hard work, passionate commitment to education and tireless advocacy for students have helped Mann School build on its long and impressive history of success. In Faith’s new role as MTSS director, these tremendous qualities, as well as her strong connections throughout the community, will enable us to better serve and support students, staff and families across the district. I congratulate her on her appointment, and am excited that she will remain a member of our administrative team and District 97 family.
When we selected Faith for the director position, we immediately began reviewing and discussing the options that were available for filling the principal position at Mann. In the end, we decided to appoint Cheryl Sullivan as the interim principal for a couple of reasons. First, Cheryl has excelled in her role as the school’s student support specialist for the past five years. She has also been an exemplary educator and leader in our district for more than 15 years. We believe her skills, knowledge and expertise will enable us to maintain a strong sense of continuity in the building during this critical transition period, while also helping us meet the needs of our students and their families.
Second, the appointment of an interim will afford us ample time to conduct a formal and comprehensive search to find a permanent replacement for the position. As part of this search, which we anticipate will begin in December, we will work closely and collaboratively with our various stakeholders to identify a candidate who will build on Mann’s tradition of excellence and help our students learn, grow and achieve.
We will keep the community updated on the status of our search efforts, and appreciate everyone’s continued support of our schools and the children we serve.