D129 Appoints New Curriculum Coordinator To Start This Summer

AURORA, IL — West Aurora School District 129 has a new career and technical education curriculum coordinator.

Laura C. Edwards was appointed to the position at the Board of Education's regular meeting April 17. She is set to begin this summer ahead of the 2023-24 school year.

As the career and technical education curriculum coordinator, Edwards will coach and evaluate teachers and work with staff to make curricular recommendations. She will also support all CTE programming at the four middle schools and one high school, which recently expanded offerings to include automation, robotics and advanced building trades at the Weisner Family Center for Career Development.

Edwards comes to District 129 from Sandwich-based Indian Valley Vocational Center where she has worked for eight years as the assistant director. Her responsibilities span the areas of curriculum, student services and building administration, officials said.

Before her current position, the administrator spent four years working in the DeKalb Community School District 428, starting as the district's assessment coordinator and counselor before becoming the coordinator for assessment and response to interventions. In her time there, she helped implement the Common Core State Standards into all grade levels and content areas, among other things.

She began her career working as a counselor and dean in Leland Community Unit School District 1.

Edwards has a bachelor's degree in communications and public relations from Bradley University, a master's in school counseling from St. Xavier University and a master's in educational leadership from Northern Illinois University.