Five Principals Hired for Oswego Elementary Schools, High School

There are some familiar faces and some new faces in recent principal hirings in Oswego School District 308 for the 2013-14 school year.

Five individuals have been hired to lead at Long Beach Elementary, Hunt Club Elementary, The Wheatlands Elementary, Lakewood Creek Elementary and Oswego East High School. 

The following are releases issued by Oswego 308 on the principal hires.

Long Beach Elementary

For the past three years Phil Murray’s goal has been to bring together Hunt Club Elementary School’s staff, students, and parents to create the best learning environment possible.  “When everyone works together for one common goal, the potential is amazing,” he said.  Murray will now be bringing that goal to another one of District 308’s elementary buildings.

On June 10, the District 308 Board of Education appointed Murray to the top administrative position at Long Beach Elementary School. Murray will start this newest chapter in his District 308 career when he leaves the principalship at Hunt Club Elementary to become the Long Beach Elementary School principal on July 1.

"I look forward to the opportunity to work with the students, staff and the community of Long Beach,” Murray said. “I have had many wonderful opportunities at various schools in District 308, and I look forward to continuing my career working within this exceptional community.” 

Murray has been involved in education for more than 18 years. He began his career as a seventh-grade math teacher at West Chicago Middle School. After two years, he accepted a middle school math teaching position at Winfield Middle School. After seven years teaching in Winfield he was promoted to assistant principal where he remained for an additional two years before coming to District 308.

Murray will be starting at Long Beach during his 10th year with the district. Since 2004, he has served as an assistant principal at Traughber Junior High School for five years, assistant principal at Bednarcik Junior High School for one year and principal at Hunt Club Elementary School for three years. Beyond his teaching and administrative experience, Murray has been involved in coaching student athletes for more than 25 years. He has coached basketball, baseball, softball, football, track, cross country, and volleyball athletes from first grade through high school varsity. He has also officiated basketball for the IHSA for the past 27 years. 

“Mr. Murray has had many leadership roles during his tenure in education,” noted John Sparlin, executive director of administration. “He will serve the students, staff and community of Long Beach very well.”

Murray holds a bachelor's degree from Elmhurst College and a master’s degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University. He resides in Naperville with his wife, Brenda, and the couple’s two children—14-year old daughter Courtney and 11-year old son Keegan. 

Hunt Club Elementary

With the upcoming transfer of successful principal Phil Murray to Long Beach Elementary School, District 308 administration knew it had to find someone just as successful to lead Murray’s former elementary school. Administration believed it found such a person and on Monday night the District 308 Board of Education agreed, approving Ryan Anderson as the next principal of Hunt Club Elementary School.

“I am very thankful to have been given the opportunity to bring my leadership experiences to Hunt Club Elementary and the entire Oswego learning community,” Anderson said. “I look forward to meeting all of the wonderful staff, students and parents. It’s a great day to be a cougar!”

Anderson has been in the education field since 1999. After two years serving as a third-grade teacher at Central Elementary School in Effingham, Illinois, he was hired by Plainfield School District 202. In Plainfield, Anderson worked as a third-grade classroom teacher, a fifth-grade classroom teacher and a seventh-grade language arts teacher before entering administration as an assistant principal at Lakewood Falls Elementary School in August 2007.

“We had 60 applicants who applied for this position,” noted John Sparlin, executive director of administrative services. “Ryan has been an assistant principal in District 202 for the past six years. The experiences Ryan has had in 202 have provided him with the opportunities needed to be a great principal.”

Anderson received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education with a concentration in theater arts from Eastern Illinois University and a master’s degree in educational leadership as well as his Type 75 Administrative Certification from the University of St. Francis in Joliet. In 2006, he earned his middle school language arts, speech/theater and social sciences endorsement from Aurora University.

Anderson resides in Naperville with his wife, Candice, and their two children, Margo, age five, and Ryan Jr., age two.

The Wheatlands Elementary

On July 1, Jeffrey Gerard will join the District 308 administration team as its newest principal. Gerard was approved by the District 308 Board of Education Monday night as the principal of The Wheatlands Elementary School.

"I am honored to be the next principal of The Wheatlands Elementary School and have already heard such wonderful comments about the school community,    Gerard said. “I look forward to working closely with The Wheatlands’ staff, students and families to continue and further develop the tradition of academic excellence.”

Gerard has been in the education field since 1999. After three years serving as a first grade teacher in Frankfort School District 157C and eight years teaching first, second and fifth grades in Indian Prairie School District 204, Gerard moved into an administrative role. Gerard was hired in Troy School District 30C as an assistant principal split between Troy Craughwell and Heritage Trail Elementary Schools in addition to serving a one-year principalship for the Troy ELL Summer Program. In July 2012, Gerard received his first full time principal position in Summit Hill School District 161 in Frankfort at Arbury Hills Elementary School. He will officially leave his position at Arbury Hills and begin at District 308’s The Wheatlands Elementary School on July 1.

“I believe that Mr. Gerard has the ability to take this high performing school to the next level,” said John Sparlin, executive director for administrative services. “Mr. Gerard is a strong instructional leader who brings some wonderful experiences to The Wheatlands.”

Gerard received his bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Texas Christian University and a master’s degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University. He is also a National Board Certified Teacher.

Gerard resides in Naperville with his wife Jennifer, also a former first-grade teacher, and two daughters, Annie, age eight, and Delaney, age five.

Lakewood Creek Elementary

Since 1998, Keith Griffin has been making a difference in the lives of District 308 students as a teacher, assistant principal and interim principal. District administration believed Griffin was ready to take the next step in his career, and the District 308 Board of Education agreed, approving him as the next principal of Lakewood Creek Elementary School.

“I am very excited to serve as the principal of Lakewood Creek Elementary,” said Griffin. “I’ve been a resident of the Lakewood Creek community for 11 years, and am looking forward to working with the staff and families of our neighborhood school.”

Griffin began his educational career in District 308 teaching third and fourth grades at Old Post Elementary School from 1998 until 2006. In 2006 he split his time between teaching academically talented students at the school and serving as an assistant principal. The following year he continued to split his duties, but this time as an assistant principal at both Old Post and Grande Park Elementary Schools. Since 2008, Griffin has made his home Fox Chase Elementary School as its assistant principal, only leaving a short time to assist the district by serving a four-month stint in 2010 as an interim principal at Wolf’s Crossing Elementary.  

"Mr. Griffin has served in many leadership roles during his tenure in District 308 that have prepared him to take the next step in his career,” said John Sparlin, executive director of administrative services. “The interviewing committee felt Mr. Griffin would be a great fit for Lakewood Creek. We are happy to be able to promote Mr. Griffin from his current role as an assistant principal into his new role as principal."

Griffin received his bachelor’s degree from Eastern Illinois University and a master’s degree in education from Northern Illinois University. He also has his Type 75 Administrative Certification as well as an Elementary K-9 Teaching Certificate with a middle grade language arts and social science endorsement. In addition, Griffin has his verification in gifted education.  

Oswego East High School

Monday night, the District 308 Board of Education approved Dr. Louis Lee Jr. as the new leader of Oswego East High School.  Dr. Lee will begin his new position in District 308 on July 1.

“I am honored and humbled to have the privilege of being the next principal at Oswego East High School,” Lee said.  “I look forward to working with the students and staff at Oswego East to add to the tremendous tradition of this excellent high school.”

Lee, an adjunct professor of graduate courses at Lewis University in Romeoville since 2009, has served as the assistant principal at Granger Middle School in neighboring Indian Prairie School District 204 for the past year.   For the previous seven years, he was employed as the associate principal at Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort, IL where he also taught high school chemistry.

 “We had many highly qualified applicants for the position of principal at Oswego East High School,” said John Sparlin, executive director of administrative services.  “Selected applicants went through two rounds of interviews.  The finalist committee unanimously selected Dr. Lee as their first choice.  Dr. Lee has had a variety of experiences at high performing schools throughout his career that have prepared him to be the next instructional leader of Oswego East High School.  Dr. Lee has been an administrator at both the middle school and high school and is well versed at both levels.”

Lee earned his bachelor’s degree in chemistry at the University of Illinois and his master’s and doctorate in education from Lewis University.

Lee resides in Joliet with his wife Patty and their two children.