D218 Board hires Dr. Jennifer Pollack as new Shepard principal

The District 218 Board of Education unanimously approved Dr. Jennifer Pollack as the new principal of Shepard High School in Palos Heights. Pollack, who has served as associate principal the past six years, will succeed Dr. Greg Walder.

The Board recently appointed Walder as Assistant Superintendentof Operations, which covers human resources, security, operations and maintenance.

“I am grateful for the opportunity to serve as the principal of Shepard High School this coming school year. I have been a proud member of the Shepard family for the last six years in my previous role as associate principal,” Pollack said.

Pollack arrived in District 218 as a math teacher at Delta Learning Center in 2007. She became an instructional coach and later the district Curriculum Director for Mathematics.

“I am excited to continue supporting many of the great traditions that the Shepard community promotes, from our homecoming celebrations to our academic challenges in AP and dual credit programs. I am also looking forward to growing new traditions that showcase the many talents of our student population. I truly believe in the students, staff, and families at Shepard and can’t wait to see how far we go!” she added.

Pollack earned her bachelor’s degree in 1999 from The University of Illinois at Chicago, master’s degrees from St. Xavier University in 2003 and Lewis University in 2010, and her doctorate in 2019 from Indiana State University.