HP_122817

4 | December 28, 2017 | The highland park landmark news
hplandmark.com
New D112 superintendent wants to hit ‘reset’
Xavier Ward, Editor
Amid school closings
and border disputes, North
Shore District 112 can
cross finding a new superintendent
off its to-do list.
At its Dec. 12 meeting,
the School Board unanimously
approved the appointment
of Michael
Lubelfeld. He starts with
the district July 1, 2018.
Among his list of things
to address, Lubelfeld said
that reestablishing trust
between the residents and
district will be paramount.
The district recently decided
to close Elm Place
School and Lincoln Elementary
School, consolidate
the dual-language
program and shifted its
borders to accommodate
the students whose schools
had closed.
Prior to his appointment,
the District operated without
a superintendent.
“I have been concerned
about the impact of (not)
having a superintendent
and board transition without
a superintendent for
the past year,” he said.
Lubelfeld said he sees
the district’s shift in border
as a necessary short-term
fix, and effecting longterm
change and goals will
be a big part of his role as
superintendent.
Lubelfeld said he takes a
“united approach to education.”
“I would love to present
a plan to the community
that takes elements of everyone’s
high points or requests,”
he said.
Part of establishing
trust, Lubelfeld said, is
establishing a line of communication
between the
District and residents.
He presently serves
as the superintendent of
Michael Lubelfeld sits at a table before the School Board at his appointment. Lubelfeld was approved unanimously
by the board at its Dec. 12 meeting. Photos submitted
Deerfield Public Schools
District 109, where he’s
been since 2013.
He said when he first
arrived there, Deerfield
had similar problems with
trust, and he feels he was
able to restore that trust.
“I really do have a vision,
I really do have a
plan,” Lubelfeld said. “I’m
going to spend the transition
learning.”
Lubelfeld said he plans
to bring in teams of people
to build the long-term plan
that will put the District
in the position to perform
at the highest standard of
education.
“I believe that all students
can learn together,”
he said.
Often working with district
residents means working
with people who you
disagree with, but if you
listen to and acknowledge
the concerns of the district
instead of being defensive,
it can work out, he said.
“Work together with
honest answers,” he said.
Emotions were high at
the November meeting
where solutions were discussed.
“Given we haven’t come
to decisions about some of
the reconfiguration issues
(such as where the early
childhood and administration
are going to go
and the density of limited
English proficient students
at Northwood),” said Dan
Jenks, a board member, at
the Nov. 7 school board
meeting. “I would be in
favor of doing something
very simple this year:
moving all of Lincoln to
Indian Trail and all of Elm
Place to Edgewood. Then,
as we have more information
next year, we can revisit
this.”
Assistant Superintendent
Ed Rafferty expressed
some frustration with community
engagement.
“We will take whatever
direction the community
gives us, whatever direction
the board gives us,”
Rafferty said at the same
meeting. “But I guarantee
you, as soon as we [decide
to] move this little neighborhood
or street, someone
is going to be upset.
We’ve even had people
who don’t want to move
their kids from Lincoln to
Indian Trail because their
property values are going
down.”
Time will tell if Lubelfeld’s
plan will go smoothly,
but he added that he doesn’t
have the luxury of time.
“I’m trying to take a holistic
approach to education
and leadership.”
New North Shore District 112 Superintendent Michael Lubelfeld fields questions from
School Board members at a Dec. 12 meeting.