Principal at Edgebrook School to resign July 7
by CYRYL JAKUBOWSKI
Edgebrook School principal Chad Weiden will resign on July 7 to head a new charter school in South Carolina.
Weiden said via video on the school’s You Tube page the reasons for leaving after 4 years and what the process would be to select a new principal.
The Edgebrook School Local School Council will meet with CPS officials Wednesday, May 24 to begin selecting an interim principal at the school, 6525 N. Hiawatha Ave.
"I’m accepting a new position with Meeting Street Schools in Charleston South Carolina," Weiden said. "Has he lost his mind? Why is Mr. Weiden leaving Edgebrook right now?"
Weiden said that he was not looking for a new opportunity but that when "this fell into my lap it was becoming harder and harder for me to say no.
"It has been a dream of mine to start a school and so this is something that I am excited to be involved with," he said."
I got where the work is, and right now that is in South Carolina."
Weiden replaced former principal Janice Kepka in 2013. At the time the school had an enrollment of 495 students, 215 more than it had in 2006. The school’s current enrollment is 514 students, according to the school.
When Weiden replaced Kepka in 2013, he said that his priority was to listen to the voices in the school community about what their concerns are and what can be done to make the school better.
"During the first month when I came in, I held many meet-and-greet events in the community to see what the community thought about the school and where the school was at," Weiden said in 2013. "People have a lot of positive things to say about the school and its traditions. I want to make sure that Edgebrook continues to be an outstanding model for other schools."
Weiden has a bachelor of arts degree in history from the University of Illinois and a masters’ degree in administration and supervision from National Louis University. Before he was named the principal at Edgebrook, he was the assistant principal at Blaine School, 1420 W. Grace St., and before that worked as a teacher, assistant principal and principal at Social Justice High School, 3120 S. Kostner Ave.
The school opened a 35,000-square-foot addition in 2012, which is larger than the original 26,800-square-foot school building.
The addition increased the number of classrooms in the school from 12 to 19. It features a computer lab, a science lab and a lunchroom with a warming kitchen.
The first floor of the main building houses first and second grade and the second floor houses third through fifth grade. The addition houses kindergarten on the first floor and sixth through eighth grade on the second floor.
Getting the addition to the school was the result of a 15-year effort by residents.
"Edgebrook has never been about me. Edgerbook has never been about one person. What makes Edgerbook Elementary School so amazing is us," Weiden said. Holding back tears on the video, Weiden said that he would miss everyone and to "Keep in touch."
