magazine

Leading the Meteors
Diane L. Brown Named Interim Principal
To say that De La Salle Institute holds great meaning for interim
principal Diane L. Brown would be an understatement.
“De La Salle Institute has been and will continue to be a major part of
my life,” she said. “I consider it both an honor and a privilege to serve as
the first woman principal at De La Salle, and I consider myself blessed
to have the opportunity to work in association with a highly-qualified
and professional Board of Directors, administration, faculty, and staff.
Together and in the spirit of St. John Baptist de La Salle, we believe
in providing Catholic and Lasallian educational, extracurricular and
athletic programs geared toward teaching the whole child and touching
the hearts of all those whom we encounter.
“Teaching the whole child requires a dedicated attention to assessing the
academic ability levels of all of our students and providing structured
academic programs that will prepare them for post-secondary education
and the workplace upon graduation from De La Salle. To that end, our
efforts are dedicated toward strengthening, and altering when necessary,
our curriculum and extracurricular and athletic programs to ensure that
each and every one of our students leaves De La Salle armed with strong
Christian values, a quality education, leadership and social skills and the
ability for right thinking and sound judgment.
“To that end, the De La Salle administration places specific emphasis
and focus on our School Improvement Plan (SIP). This year, our
efforts will revolve around the implementation of Writing across the
Curriculum; the attention to our growing population of international
students; the expansion of online course offerings; the development
of specific and sequential courses of studies in the areas of STEM,
business and the health sciences; the exploration of daily schedule
options for added curricular opportunities; the increased usage of
technology to enhance curricular instruction; the improvement and
maintenance of the school’s ACT composite score above the national
average; the continuation of generated statistical data regarding student
college and career readiness; the increase of parental understanding
and involvement in college readiness strategies; the preparation of
our faculty and staff for the shift in 2017 from a co-institutional
to a co-educational environment; an increase in the provision for
collaborative opportunities among our faculty; and the improvement in
communication with all of our stakeholders.
“This is an exciting time for our school, and I am proud to have
the opportunity to work with a community of Board members,
administrators, and educators whose shared vision is dedicated toward
forwarding the good image of De La Salle Institute. Many years ago, I
was welcomed into this community, and I am thankful for the support
and myriad experiences which have sparked my growth as an educator
and which have helped shaped the person I am today.”
Brown has been lauded for classroom teaching at De La Salle Institute,
being named Teacher of the Year (1990-91), Exemplary Honors Teacher
(1992-93), Heart of the School (1993-1994), and Distinguished Lasallian
Diane L. Brown, Interim Principal
Educator (2011-12). In 2012, she was named a recipient of the Alumni
Association Honor Key Award. Throughout her tenure at De La Salle,
she has served as moderator and advisor to various extracurricular clubs
and activities, has served on the Chicago Archdiocesan High School
Leadership Council, and has served as the Chairperson for the Midwest
District Lasallian Mission Council. Brown currently serves on the Girls
Catholic Athletic Association Executive Board.
She holds a Bachelors Degree in English (1976) from Western Illinois
University and Masters Degrees in English Literature (1994) and
Educational Leadership: School Leadership (2002) from Northeastern
Illinois University. She is also a graduate of the Lasallian Leadership
Institute and is currently a candidate for a doctoral degree in
Educational Leadership for Teaching and Learning through Lewis
University.
A native of Chicago, Brown is a widow (Robert J. Brown, Jr.) with two
children, Dawn M. Gazda (deceased) and Michael R. Gazda (Class of
1998), daughter-in-law, Jennifer Gazda, and granddaughter, Katelynn.
She currently attends St. John the Evangelist Church in St. John, IN,
where she has resided since 2006.
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