Dolton 149 Hires New Superintendent, Opens New Era
Dolton 149 Hires New Superintendent, Opens New Era (Calumet City, IL) — South suburban Dolton School District 149 last week chose Dr. Maureen White to serve as the district’s new superintendent, replacing incumbent Superintendent Dr. Shelly Davis-Jones who is retiring.
The Dolton 149 Board of Education, at a special board meeting on Thursday, April 7, voted unanimously to hire White, who is currently the Director of Programs and District Services at SPEED Special Education Joint Agreement School District 802 in Chicago Heights, to take the helm of the elementary school district for next two years.
“First, on behalf of the Dolton 149 Board of Education, I want to express our deepest appreciation to Dr. Shelly Davis-Jones for her years of service and dedication to the students and families of the district, including her years as superintendent,” said Board President Rayya Ghani. “And the Board wants to offer an enthusiastic welcome to Dr. Maureen White whose more than 25-years of experience as a public school educator and administrator will bring a new era of academic progress to the district’s 2,270 students.”
“Extremely grateful” to Board of Education
“I am extremely grateful for the very warm welcome and the outpouring of support from the Dolton 149 Board of Education,” said Dr. White, who earned her doctorate in Educational Leadership at National-Louis University in Chicago. “In the weeks ahead, I look forward to engaging with the district staff, our parents, the community, and especially our students.”
“Listening tour” planned
“My immediate goal is to launch a listening tour across the district,” said Dr. White. “This will inform the opportunities and plans that will elevate the district to the next level.”
More broadly, Dr. White plans to address not only student achievement but also adult achievement.
“Of course, increasing student academic achievement is my top priority,” said Dr. White. “And student learning closely aligns with adult learning that professionals need, because when teachers are smarter, students are smarter.”
Before assuming her current leadership role at School District 802, a cooperative of fifteen school districts that provides specialized instruction to students with disabilities, Dr. White previously served in multiple leadership posts, including as deputy chief of schools at the Chicago Public Schools, supervising seven elementary schools and one high school. Additionally, she held the post of co-principal at School of Excellence in Chicago, co-executive director of The Network Room, Inc. in South Holland, and district office administrator at Dolton-West School District 148 in Dolton.
A record of “proven leadership”
“Dr. White’s long and proven leadership at multiple, regional school districts impressed the Board of Education and it was a key factor in our decision to offer Dr. White the job of superintendent at Dolton 149,” said Ghani. “The other vital factor was Dr. White’s commitment to advancing academic progress at Dolton 149.”
Dr. White assumes her new job on July 1, 2022.
“I am ready to hit the ground running,” said Dr. White.
Dolton 149 Hires New Superintendent, Opens New Era
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