District 97 Appoints New Principal for Hatch Elementary School

Submitted by District 97.

During its meeting on April 14, the District 97 Board of Education unanimously approved the appointment of Sarah Mendez as the principal of William Hatch Elementary School. Mendez will be replacing Sheila Carter, who is retiring at the end of the school year. She will start at Hatch on July 1, 2015.

“I want to thank Sheila Carter for the tremendous leadership and tireless commitment to education she exhibited during her nearly 40 years of dedicated service to our district and the Village of Oak Park,” said Superintendent Al Roberts “I also want to congratulate Sarah on her appointment. I firmly believe that her wealth of experience, tremendous skill set and student-centered approach to learning will foster the continued growth of Hatch School and help prepare our children for the future.”

Prior to joining Hatch, Mendez served as the principal of Nichols Middle School in Evanston/Skokie District 65 for five years. She held several other positions in the district from 2005 to 2010, including the bilingual/ESL coordinator from 2007 to 2010, interim assistant principal for Washington Elementary School in 2007 and fifth grade dual language bilingual teacher from 2005 to 2007. She was also a seventh and eighth grade math and reading teacher in Chicago Public Schools from 2002 to 2005.

Mendez has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education from DePaul University and a master’s degree in School Leadership from Concordia University Chicago.

Mendez, who currently resides in Chicago with her husband Carlos and their three children, Matthew, Elena and Emily, said she is looking forward to the exciting opportunities that lie ahead at Hatch.

“I am honored to be the next principal for Hatch Elementary School,” said Mendez. “I fully intend to carry on the proud tradition of excellence that was established here under Principal Carter. I am also eager to begin working with the Hatch community to build on the school’s history of success and help our students thrive both in and out of the classroom.”

Parents/guardians and staff members were actively involved in the efforts to find the new principal for Hatch. Both groups provided the superintendent with feedback about the qualities and characteristics they felt applicants should possess. They also selected the individuals (parents/guardians and staff members) who served on the school’s site team. This team interviewed a pool of candidates for the position and played a pivotal role in Mendez’s selection.

“I want to express my sincere appreciation to the parents/guardians and staff members from Hatch who participated in the search process,” said Roberts. “The time, effort and energy they invested into the completion of this critical task helped us fill the position with an individual who is an accomplished professional, an outstanding educator and a strong advocate for children.”

Mendez’s contract is for one year with a base salary of $121,800.

ALSO ON PATCH