SPRINGFIELD - Dr. David R. Schuler of High School District 214 has been named the 2018 National Superintendent of the Year by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA). He is the first Illinois Superintendent to be named to such honor.
 
The award was presented today (February 15) during the National Conference on Education in Nashville, Tennessee.
 
In his acceptance speech, with excitement and humility, he thanked all who supported him. "The credit truly goes to the students, staff and the extremely supportive school board of High School District 214," said Schuler, who oversees the state's second-largest high school district, with more than 12,000 students at six high schools and four specialized learning programs in the northwest suburbs of Cook County. The district includes Buffalo Grove HS, Elk Grove HS, John Hersey HS, Prospect HS, Rolling Meadows HS and Wheeling HS. "High School District 214 is a microcosm of the country. I am truly fortunate to work in, hands down, the best school district in the country."
 
He urged us to tell our stories and to never stop supporting all children and public education. "We have the most amazing opportunity to change our Districts, Communities, State and Nation by what we do." He expressed our obligation to our students and to be their advocates to do what is right and just. In true form, he ended with a challenge to us all to never stop doing what is right for all children, especially for our most needy. His commitment and dedication to public education was evident and inspiring.
 
Some of his accomplishments during his 12-year tenure as Superintendent of District 214 include: 
  • Having all six high schools in the district consistently ranked among the best in the state and country. In U.S. News and World Report's 2016 ranking, all six schools earned either a Gold or Silver medal, and were named among the top 45 public schools in the state. All six schools also were ranked in the top 11 percent in the nation in a Washington Post study that assessed the level of rigor in schools.
  • Achieving awards and recognition for financial excellence, including a perfect 4.0 score from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) on the district's Financial Profile Designation.
  • Creating Educator Prep, a teacher preparation program that provides resources, dual-credit opportunities, mentoring and job placement to students through partnerships with elementary schools and postsecondary institutions. The program is designed to empower the next generation of teachers with a specific focus on solidifying minority students' interest in the education profession.
  • Implementing a Career Pathways program that provides students with rigorous courses, access to early college credits, industry certifications, and personalized, career-specific learning experiences. Students have 44 career pathways from which to choose, there are 2,700 annual student workplace learning experiences, and in one year students earned 34,565 early college credits.

Dr. Brent Clark, Executive Director of IASA, said of Schuler: "He is intuitive, always looking over the horizon, full of energy and never takes "no" for an answer. He sees a need and finds a way to address it, he sees the future and embraces it, that's leadership. I think Dave is one of the people who's always looking into the future and determining where we need to be as public school educators and where public schools need to be to best suit and serve school children."

 

Schuler began his career as a Social Studies teacher in Wisconsin. He also served as a student activities and athletics director and principal before becoming a school superintendent. He was superintendent in Marshall (WI) and Stevens Points (WI) before becoming head of District 214 in 2005. He attained his Bachelor's Degree from Carroll University, and his Master's in Educational Administration and Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies from the University of Wisconsin. He and his partner have two children, Maliah (6) and Gavin (4).
 
Please join us in congratulating and honoring Dr. David Schuler. We are so very proud of you.