Parent Input, Involvement Important to New Brooks Principal

Editor's Note: The following is a release from the Valley View School District.

Keith Wood, the new principal at , simply wants “to be of service to my community.”

That’s why the resident left what was a very successful career as a teacher and administrator in west suburban Cook County to succeed the as the chief administrator at the largest middle school in .

“Plus the fact that Valley View is a unit district and since I’ve always experienced elementary districts, that intrigued me,” Wood said. “The opportunity for articulation isn’t as great as it is in a unit district.”

A graduate of University of Illinois at Chicago with degrees in elementary education and school administration as well as a Doctorate in educational administration from Loyola University, Wood began his career in education in 1993 as a social studies teacher at Roosevelt Elementary School in Broadview. Within three years he was assistant principal at Garfield (Maywood) and Melrose Park elementary schools. And in 1998 he initially became assistant principal and eventually principal at MacArthur Middle School in Berkeley.

Wood terms middle school “the most critical point of a child’s development.”

“They’re learning who they are and what they like. Their personalities are being formed,” he said. “It’s our role as educators to assist them with that in every way possible…social-emotional, intellectual, physical…every way.

“Everything we do will be in the students’ best interests,” he added. “They can expect an environment that is fair and consistent. We’ll provide them with a middle school experience that is second to none.”

And, Wood says, parents can count on continuously open lines of communication.

“We’ll communicate the direction of the school, where we’re at, the good areas and the areas in need of improvement” he said. “And their input and thoughts on the role of the school to support their needs is equally as important.”

“I’m confident in my ability to work with the staff and community to make sure we are doing everything we need to do to ensure our students’ success.”