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Glenbrook Dist. 225 Hires Charles Johns As New Superintendent

Riggle To Retire At End Of June

Charles Johns, hired by school board members Monday to replace Mike Riggle as Glenbrook High School Dist. 225 superintendent beginning July 1, cuts a cake at the school board meeting welcoming him to the district. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

Glenbrook High School Dist. 225 board members hired Charles Johns to replace Supt. Mike Riggle after Riggle retires. Johns’ first day will be July 1 at the start of the district’s new fiscal year.

Johns is currently superintendent of West Chicago School Dist. 33, but has experience in both elementary and high schools, working his way up from teacher and debate coach at Township High School Dist. 214’s Elk Grove High School, to dean, assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent in Dist. 214, Elmhurst Community Unit School Dist. 205 and Dist. 33.

Charles Johns (right), hired at Monday’s Glenbrook High School Dist. 225 school board meeting to replace retiring Supt. Mike Riggle July 1, chats with Glenview Village President Jim Patterson (left)at Monday’s school board meeting. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

Asked why he came to Dist. 225, Johns said, “The Glenbrooks are widely known as one of the finest districts in the entire country. This would be the pinnacle of any educators career.”

Riggle spent more than 20 years working for Dist. 225, starting as Glenbrook North High School principal in 1998 before replacing Supt. Dave Hales in 2008.

In September, BWP & Associates was hired to conduct a national search for Riggle’s replacement. After pre-screening dozens of candidates, seven potential candidates for the position were identified, including Johns, which were narrowed to three finalists. Those three finalists were interviewed extensively by both school board members and a group of key district stakeholders in December.

Charles Johns, hired to replace the retiring Glenbrook High School Dist. 225 Supt. Mike Riggle July 1, chats with an old friend, Dist. 225 Teachers Union President Matt Whipple at Monday’s school board meeting. The two taught a summer debate program at the University of Iowa years ago. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

Although school board members voted to approve a three year contract for Johns at Monday’s (Feb. 11) school board meeting. District officials said the contract would pay Johns $250,000 per year for three years. District officials said they would release the contract next week.  

At Monday’s meeting, district officials initially told reporters Johns’ salary and contract details would not released until minutes from Monday’s meeting are approved by school board members at their Monday, Feb. 25 meeting.

“After meeting with many outstanding candidates, Dr. Johns emerged as our finalist because of his systematic approach to providing an equitable education to students,” said Board President Skip Shein. Johns said his first task will be to learn the organization and build relationships within Dist. 225. He said his process for addressing issues is to, “be as thoughtful as possible getting a broad view.” He said understanding any legal issues along with hearing community input is also important to his process.

Johns holds a doctorate in educational leadership and policy studies from Loyola University and bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Iowa in teaching.

Glenbrook High School Dist. 225 Supt. Mike Riggle (right) shakes hands with the man who will replace him July 1, Charles Johns (center left) as School Board President Skip Shein looks (center) on at Monday’s school board meeting where Johns was hired. (Tom Robb/Journal photo)

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