Latest news with #AdrianTalley
Chicago Tribune
12-05-2025
- Health
- Chicago Tribune
Indian Prairie District 204 Superintendent Adrian Talley named Educator of the Year by DuPage education group
Adrian Talley, the superintendent of Indian Prairie School District 204, was recently named Educator of the Year by the DuPage Regional Office of Education. Talley — along with other winners from districts in Wheaton, Hinsdale, Naperville and other areas in the county — was recognized at an event on May 1, according to a news release from the DuPage Regional Office of Education. Joining neighboring counties' offices which give out annual educator awards, this was the DuPage Regional Office of Education's first time hosting such an event, and it plans to make it an annual tradition. Talley took over as superintendent of the district in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to past reporting. Since then, he said a major focus of his leadership has been efforts focused on mental health. In recent years, the district has secured a $1.25 million grant from Endeavor Health for school-based counseling services, along with a $500,000 state grant for counseling for high school students and a $500,000 grant from Edward Elmhurst Health for mental health assistance for students in lower grades. The district also recently held its third annual mental health symposium, which now includes participation from nearby school districts. The DuPage Regional Office of Education recognized Talley for these initiatives, as well as his 'commitment to equity, innovation and student-centered learning,' the office's news release noted. The mental health efforts are also some of the accomplishments Talley told The Beacon-News he's most proud of during his time with the district. He noted that Indian Prairie has shared the district's free counseling concept with 20 other school districts, and helped them write their grant applications. Talley said he was nominated by the district's assistant superintendent of equity and innovation Nader Najjar, who coordinated the letters of recommendation submitted on Talley's behalf for the award. He said winning the award was a 'complete surprise.' 'I don't work for this,' Talley said of the award. 'I think it's important that I'm doing the work, I'm orchestrating some of this and I have the people around me who make it all possible.' Talley also noted the district's work on equity during his tenure: establishing equity ambassadors in district schools, forming an equity plan and continuing work with staff on affinity groups. And he said, aside from the awards, the day-to-day recognition of teachers and school employees is appreciated too. Talley said he has letters 'that are more than 20 years old' that parents have sent him. 'It's like, when I'm moving, I'll look at them, and I'm like, 'I'm gonna keep this letter. I will always have this letter,'' he said. Now, as Talley prepares for his last school year at Indian Prairie before stepping down, he said he plans to continue work on mental health efforts, among his other responsibilities. He said the district has another grant application in the works right now. 'One of the things I learned in education: you never complete anything,' he said. 'There's always stuff that's unfinished … it was very hard for me to say I wanted to walk away, knowing that I had all of this work that still needed to be done. And so, from construction work to work that we're doing on grading and reporting.' He said he's focused on ensuring a smooth transition for his successor — keeping track of the work he does on a monthly basis so the new superintendent understands the expectations of the job, for example. 'I don't think I'll finish anything,' Talley said, 'but have it ready for the new superintendent to pick up.'
Chicago Tribune
11-04-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
District 204 Superintendent Adrian Talley announces he's stepping down after next school year
Indian Prairie School District 204 Superintendent Adrian Talley is stepping down after next school year, the district leader announced Wednesday in a message posted to the district's website. Talley told the Indian Prairie school board in an executive session in March that he would not be renewing his contract, according to an email statement from Talley to The Beacon-News on Friday morning. Per Talley's announcement on the district website, the board had offered to renew his contract beyond the 2025-26 school year. Talley highlighted the district's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and its efforts to support mental health as key achievements during his tenure in Wednesday's message. He also credited the passage of the district's $420 bond sale referendum question that is paying for capital improvements in the school district as having 'laid the groundwork to make District 204 safer and stronger for years to come.' Talley told The Beacon-News he plans to 'continue to work through the next school year until the very end.' He also plans next school year to catalogue monthly what work needs to be done by the new superintendent going forward. He said in his announcement on the district website that the timeline for his stepping down was to give the school board 'ample time to conduct a thorough search for the next superintendent, who will begin on July 1, 2026.' This is similar to the process previous District 204 Superintendent Karen Sullivan followed when she retired, Talley told The Beacon-News. Talley said he doesn't know what his next steps will be after leaving the superintendent's role at the end of next school year. On Thursday, Indian Prairie school board President Laurie Donahue released an announcement via the district's website about beginning the process of searching for a new superintendent. The school board has authorized sending a request for proposals to search firms that will help select a new superintendent, according to Donahue's message. Those will be due April 25 and then evaluated by the board, with semi-finalists selected by May 5. The board will then meet with the semi-finalists and approve a firm on June 9.
