D181 Hires Another New Walker School Principal

The District 181 Board of Education approved the hiring Monday night of the third Walker School principal in three years.

Eric Chisausky, who has served as assistant principal at Clarendon Hills Middle School since the 2008-09 school year, will become the newest Walker principal on July 1. He replaces Christine Cagney, who took a medical leave of absence during her first year as principal and will not return to the role, according to District 181 communications director Bridget McGuiggan. 

Cagney, who replaced Kevin Russell when he was promoted to the district's central office, will remain with District 181 next year.

"For 2013-14, she is currently an unassigned administrator as we monitor the status of her health and determine our needs," McGuiggan said.

Hinsdale Middle School assistant principal Martha Henrikson is currently the interim principal at Walker and will stay in that role until the end of the school year, McGuiggan said.

Chisausky has been a District 181 summer school administrator since 2011. He serves on the district’s literacy committee and curriculum writing team, and on the safety and crisis committee. He is also the SAT coordinator for the West Suburban Consortium of Academic Excellence.

“I am extremely honored to serve the students, parents, and staff of Walker School,” he said in a release sent out by the District 181 administration. “As the assistant principal of Clarendon Hills Middle School for the past five years, I have a great deal of respect for the Walker community and the passion for teaching its students to be enthusiastic learners. I look forward to developing strong relationships within the Walker community and to continue its reputation for excellence."

Superintendent Renée Schuster said that Chisausky, who previously worked as an assistant principal at Gower Middle School in Burr Ridge and a language arts teacher in Butler School District 53 and New Lenox School District 122, brings a "strong knowledge-base" to Walker with 14 years of experience in education. 

"His years with Clarendon Hills Middle School have provided an opportunity to get to know many of our district families, and his work in curriculum will make him a strong educational leader," Schuster said in the release.

Chisausky has a master’s degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Eastern Illinois University. His wife Gwen is a reading specialist teacher in Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202. The couple have two sons, 5-year-old Colin and 2-year-old Liam. 

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