Incoming D86 Leader Fits Local Needs

Having attended D86 board meetings and supported the district since the mid-1990s, I am not concerned that our new Superintendent-to-be, Dr. Michael Lach, has never held the title "Superintendent." His credentials are a perfect fit for building on the excellence of District 86, and also addressing our challenges.

At the January 11 board meeting, when Dr. Lach was formally introduced to the community, he arrived early and also hung out after the meeting, during closed session, showing not only his good ideas, but his patience as a listener to attendees who stopped to converse with him both before and after the meeting.

Long-time D86 supporter Kim Notaro, parent of two Central graduates, has noted on a public Facebook page that Dr. Lach has been quietly attending D86 board meetings for a while now, showing his commitment to the district, even though his contract does not begin until July 1. She supports giving him a chance to lead.

While not a former Superintendent, Dr. Lach has years of school leadership experience, including at the University of Chicago, the U.S. Department of Education, and the Chicago Public Schools.

His current position is Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum in Highland Park-based Township District 113, a high school district, where he answers directly to Superintendent Bruce Law. As we know from the tenure of Dr. Law as Superintendent in D86, he is a man for all seasons and a wonderful Superintendent. Dr. Lach could not have had a better place to learn from the best of the best about the Superintendent's role.

With advanced degrees from Columbia and UIC, Dr. Lach commands respect for his academic background, beginning with his undergraduate major in Physics at the prestigious Carleton College.

A former Physics Teacher of the Year, Dr. Lach went on to various leadership roles in STEM education, now a hot topic in D86. As for non-STEM areas of study, Dr. Lach's wife Leslie Darling, who also attended the January 11 D86 board meeting, is Executive Vice President and General Counsel at the Chicago Art Institute and School of the Art Institute. Will Dr. Lach will neglect the humanities? Only at his personal peril.

Dr. Lach's current experience is Deerfield-Highland Park District 113 is also exactly the right preparation to lead in D86. Just like us, D113 has two high schools, a proud tradition of excellence, and an equally proud tradition of diversity. They are not a demographic bubble and neither is D86.

Speaking of our diverse community, Dr. Lach has a varied career path giving him the cultural competence for relating to the full range of constituencies in D86. With his experience at selective universities, he understands the priorities of families already in the know about high school preparation for college, including a rigorous high school STEM preparation. Through his background with high-need student populations, including CPS, he can also relate to the perspective of systemic child poverty survivors and their families whose aspirations are as high as any, but who may need some help "learning the ropes" of optimal high school preparation.

In short, if we could have designed a candidate with credentials that perfectly fit the current culture and needs of D86, the result would be Dr. Michael Lach. At least two longtime watchdogs say, "let's all give him a chance!"

Linda Burke