Monroe Principal Promoted to D181 Administrative Position

The first major action taken by the latest incarnation of the District 181 Board of Education was to approve the hiring of a new administrator.

Current Monroe School Principal Dawn Benaitis was hired Monday night to replace Kevin Russell as District 181's director of curriculum, assessment and instruction, a position created in 2012.

Benaitis will take over the position on July 1, 2013, the same day Russell is set to become the district’s assistant superintendent for learning.

Benaitis was hired as Monroe's principal before the 2011-12 school year. She is a member of the district's Literacy Committee and Teacher Evaluation Committee, according to a release from District 181. She assisted in the planning for pilot use of both reading and writing materials and served on the Advanced Learning Task Force.

According to the release, Benaitis in her time at Monroe has implemented the response to intervention model (RtI) at all grade levels and redesigned the school’s master schedule to create common plan time for teachers.

Benaitis previously served as principal of Hillcrest School in Antioch and Goodrich School in Woodridge, and special education coordinator for Schiller Park School District 81.

“I look forward to working with the Department of Learning and all of my fellow District 181 colleagues to further our efforts to ensure that every day, every student is learning and growing," Benaitis said in the release. "Collaboratively, we will work to continuously improve the educational experience that makes District 181 such a strong school system.”

Superintendent Renée Schuster said in the release that Benaitis has demonstrated a "true commitment to her profession" during her 20 years in education.

"We were very fortunate to welcome her into District 181 when she started two years ago and have seen her abilities in action time and again," Schuster said. "Her many strengths, particularly in curriculum, assessment and instruction, make Dawn an exceptional asset to the Department of Learning.”

A posting for the Monroe School principal position will be made immediately.

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