Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 has chosen a superintendent with a home-field advantage, as well as what board members described as sterling communication and leadership skills, in Maine South High School Principal Ben Collins.
Collins, who is expected to replace outgoing superintendent Eric Olson July 1, is taking the reins of a district known for its high-quality elementary and middle schools that has seen substantial conflict over the last two years related to pandemic mitigations, curriculum and the topic of diversity, equity and inclusion.
Collins, who earned a doctorate in Administration and Supervision from Loyola University of Chicago in 2017, said his “number one” priority as he takes over will be “stability, both with the working environment for all of our educators, and the relationship with the community.”
He said that stability would come through fostering “trust, consistency and transparency.”
Many parents and other community members told the Board of Education and superintendent search firm that they hoped the district’s next leader would be a good communicator and skilled at managing conflict.
Collins said he hopes to “present a culture of hearing each other and listening to each other” as superintendent.
“When we’re working together as one, both as a community and as a staff for our students, I think we can do great things,” he said.
Collins has been the principal at Maine South High School in Park Ridge, one of three schools in Maine Township High School District 207, since 2017. He was previously the Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning at Maine West High School. About 2,500 students attend Maine South.
Collins said his first year as superintendent would be focused on getting to know the district, its people and its strengths.
“Anytime you step into a superintendent role, the most important thing is understanding what the dynamics are of the community and understanding what the needs are of the community,” Collins said.
He said he will be guided by a yearlong entry plan.
“That’s going to include listening tours in each one of our buildings, getting to know staff, meeting with student leaders and community members who might not have students in the schools but are really important for our school district’s success,” he said.
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This will be Collins’ first superintendent role. He said his experience with Maine South will inform his work at District 64, since many District 64 students go on to high school at Maine South.
“I know what it takes to be successful in high school at one of the best high schools in United States of America,” he said. “And I know what it takes to be successful past high school where our students, when they successfully engage with everything that we offer, can pretty much do anything they want to.”
Collins described his ideal relationship with district parents as “collaborative” and noted that he knows many elementary and middle school parents because they also have children at Maine South.
“It’s really important to me that parents and our whole community feel public education is a community endeavor,” he said.
Board President Denise Pearl said Collins’ emphasis on communication and his grasp of Park Ridge and Niles’ needs had helped make him the pick for the district’s next leader.
“He certainly shined as really understanding our community and wanting to carry on the traditions,” she said. The board believes he’s invested for a long term commitment to District 64.”
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Outgoing Board Vice President Carol Sales, who served as the board point person for the search, said the district was excited to welcome Collins.
“Dr. Collins is a well-known and respected member of our community for his leadership at Maine South since 2017,” Sales said in a statement. “His strong and effective communication skills stood out amongst a group of very qualified candidates.”
Sales also emphasized Collins’ “empathetic manner,” saying it would help prepare students to move on to District 207 as high schoolers.
Pearl said the incoming board members were involved in the search and decision process, although they did not participate in voting.
“[The members-elect] were involved in all of the interviews and the closed session conversations during the search,” she said. “It was a really inclusive process.”
Incoming board member Monica Milligan told Pioneer Press she was “thrilled” with the selection.
“[Collins] brings immense knowledge of our community and students, deep expertise in communications, and unrelenting focus on student success to the role,” Milligan said. “As the district looks to refocus on students’ needs and outcomes, I can’t imagine a better person to lead us than Ben.”
Maine Township High School District 207 Superintendent Ken Wallace congratulated Collins and District 64 and told Pioneer Press his leadership would strengthen the relationship between the two school districts.
“Ben’s been a great member of our team here in District 207 and a terrific building principal,” Wallace said. “Knowing that he will be leading one of our elementary partners will help us improve our joint efforts to better serve our students.”
In addition to his doctorate, Collins has earned two masters degrees, one from University of Illinois in music education and the other in educational leadership from Aurora University, according to a District 64 spokesman. Collins also spent a semester at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom in 2005.
The District 64 board is tentatively set to hold a special meeting to approve Collins’ contract May 3. If approved, Collins is set to start July 1. Olson’s last day is set for June 30.
