Superintendent, Kildeer Countryside School 96, Buffalo Grove, IL
Nominee: Richard P. DuFour
Thomas Many, Ed. D., is completing his 18th year as Superintendent of Schools, the past twelve at the helm of Kildeer Countryside School District 96 in Buffalo Grove, Illinois. His unique perspective on public education has grown from experience in nearly every school role from classroom teacher to principal to district administrator, including a stint as school custodian.
During his tenure as superintendent of District 96, student achievement has improved ten consecutive years; currently, more than 96 percent of all District students meet or exceed state standards. Likewise, special education students have shown significant academic improvement, with special needs students in some District schools moving from 30 percent to almost 80 percent meeting state standards. During the same period, placement of 8th-grade students in honors level or accelerated classes at an academically competitive high school has nearly doubled from 28 percent to 49 percent.
In addition to his career as a practicing administrator, Dr. Many has worked with teachers and administrators to improve student learning in dozens of school districts in thirty-three states and three provinces of Canada. To date, Dr. Many has published ten journal articles, co-authored Learning By Doing: A Handbook for Professional Learning Communities at Work, and contributed to the anthology The Collaborative Teacher: Working Together as a Professional Learning Community.
