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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Jasculca

May 23, 2014 Director of Policy, Planning and Communication
(708) 524-3006 (office)
cjasculca@op97.org


SUPERINTENDENT ROBERTS RECOMMENDING COLE BEAPPOINTED TO MANN AND
WARNER BE APPOINTED TO WHITTIER

Board of Education scheduled to take action on both recommendations on Tuesday, May 27

OAK PARK, IL Superintendent Al Roberts announced today that he is recommending to the District 97
Board of Education that Faith Cole be appointed as the principal of Mann Elementary School and Keshia
Warner be appointed as the principal of Whittier Elementary School. Both appointments will be presented to the
board for action during its meeting on Tuesday, May 27. Cole would replace Sam LeDeaux, who announced his
resignation in March, while Warner would replace Carol Young, who is retiring at the end of the school year.
Both of them would begin in their new positions with the district on July 1, 2014.

I want to thank Carol Young and Sam LeDeaux for their service on behalf of our schools and the Oak Park
community, said Superintendent Al Roberts I am also pleased to recommend Faith and Keshia for
appointment. While a number of highly qualified professionals applied for these openings, they stood out above
the rest. I believe their skills, expertise and passion for education will contribute to our districts success and
help our students excel both in and out of the classroom.

For the past two years, Cole has served as an assistant principal at Julian Middle School. She was also one of
the districts teacher leaders for mentoring and instruction for two years, and a kindergarten teacher and Title I
Reading teacher in the district for six years.
Cole has a bachelors degree in Elementary and Special Education from Lewis University, a masters degree in
Leadership from Northeastern University and is working on her doctorate in Teacher Leadership at Walden
University.
She currently resides in Oak Park with her husband Travis and son Travis, Jr.

Warner has served as the principal at John B. Drake Elementary School in Chicago for three years. She was also
the assistant principal at Drake for three years, and a National Board Certified third grade teacher in Chicago
Public Schools for seven years.

Warner earned her bachelors degree in English Arts from Hampton University in Virginia, her masters degree
in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a masters degree in
Administration and Supervision from National Louis University in Chicago.

She currently resides in Chicago with her husband Quann and dog Koko.

970 Madison ! Oak Park ! Illinois ! 60302 ! ph: 708.524.3000 ! fax: 708.524.3019 ! www.op97.org




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Parents/guardians and staff were heavily involved in the efforts to find the new principals for Mann and
Whittier. Both groups provided the superintendent with feedback about the qualities and characteristics they felt
applicants for the positions should possess. They also selected the individuals (parents/guardians and staff
members) who served on the site team for each school. These teams interviewed a pool of six candidates and
identified the top three for the two positions. The superintendent, district administrators and team members
conducted a final round of interviews and performed the necessary background checks and site visits prior to
selecting the top two candidates that will be presented to the board.

I want to express my sincere appreciation to the representatives from Mann and Whittier who participated in
the search process, said Roberts. The time, effort and energy they dedicated to completing this critical task
were instrumental in filling these vital leadership positions.

Both Cole and Warner are scheduled to receive one-year contracts.