(ABOVE) Three faces leaving Danville District 118 after this school year: North Ridge Middle School principal Eliza Brooks (taking Executive Director of Middle Schools Position with Peoria Public Schools), Danville High School principal Tracy Cherry (retiring), and Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Yacobi (retiring).
If you’ve driving past Edison School on Vermilion lately, you probably noticed the signs of all the Danville District 118 personnel who are retiring at the end of this school year. In addition, some will be taking positions in other districts. One of the latter is North Ridge Middle School principal Eliza Brooks, who has resigned to take the Executive Director of Middle Schools position with Peoria Public Schools. The Danville High School graduate has spent 22 years in Danville District 118, 17 as a principal, and the last eight years at North Ridge.
Brooks says she will certainly miss the fantastic people she’s both worked with, and educated.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: I will miss the people, my students, and their families. Some of these families I have known for generations of kids. I’m starting to get generations back to me now of kids, that I was their teacher or their former principal. So, that’s the thing that I’ll miss; those connections to people that I’ve made during my 22 years in the district.
Looking north along North Vermilion at pictures of retiring District 118 personnel placed in Edison School’s front yard.
Brooks explained a little about what she’ll be doing in Peoria; reuniting with former District 118 Assistant Superintendent Dr. Sharon Desmoulin-Kherat.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: So I’ll be supervising from seven to ten middle schools; just helping them get their test scores up. Peoria’s doing some amazing things, and I’m looking forward to working with one of our former assistant superintendents, Dr. Kherat; as she is the superintendent over in Peoria.
Over in the “retiring” department, Tracy Cherry is stepping down as DHS principal, with tribute having been paid to her all year by the DHS Future Problem Solvers students doing the Project LENS blog; go to https://vermilioncountyfirst.com/danville-hs-future-problem-solvers-podcast/ to hear some of their weekly updates.
Then, over at the administration building, Assistant Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Yacobi is retiring after 34 years in education, and eight years with District 118. Yacobi says she’s proud of how District 118 has stepped up to the plate in many ways during her time on board.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: The bigger pieces of supporting all kids. Kids with very different needs; different paths educationally; thinking outside of the box. I think that navigating the pandemic was probably the biggest piece. I was just amazed with how everyone came together.
Yacobi says that for the future of education, it is of utmost importance to find creative ways to get people into education, and creative ways to get them certified to teach.
Audio PlayerAUDIO: How do we keep going forward when the amount of individuals entering the teaching profession isn’t there anymore? And I read a startling statistic out of Pennsylvania; 16,000 at this time last year were in certificated programs, and now they have 4,000. That’s disturbing to me.
Here is a full list of retiring District 118 personnel:
Last Name; First Name; Bldg Assignment; Dist Years
Burch Todd DHS Teacher 9
Carlton Donna MDE Teacher 24
Chasanov Lynn NE Teacher 12
Cherry Tracy DHS Principal 33
Crawley Rhonda NRMS Teacher 15
Dodd Thea DHS Teacher 23
Draper Nisa MDE Teacher 19.5
Fisher Stacey MP Teacher 6
Latoz Kristi MDE Teacher 34.5
Miller Charles DHS Teacher – Drvs Ed 33.5
Miller William MDE Teacher 7.5
Phillips Sharon KDBA Teacher 34
Shahan Cindy MDE Teacher – Elem Ed 23
Stewart Scott MP Teacher – PE 34
Wagers Christy NE Teacher 29
Wolfe Paula NE Teacher 14
Woodrow Jennifer NRMS Teacher – Music 21
Yacobi Dr. Elizabeth Fields Assistant Superintendent o fSecondary Education 8
Anderson Beth ED Custodian 13.5
Freed Denise DHS Secretary 24
Hutson Martha MD Food Service 4
Kelly Jacquelyn SVUE Teaching Assistant 12
Miller Sharon DHS Teaching Assistant 8
Wilson Christina ED Teaching Assistant 29
Rackow Sr. John DHS Teaching Assistant 7.5
