D86 Names New Assistant Superintendent of Special Education

Hinsdale High School Dist. 58 Board of Education appointed a new assistant superintendent of special education during the board’s meeting Monday evening.

Tammy Prentiss assumes her district role on July 1. She replaces Dr. Joyce Powell, who submitted her resignation last month.

Prentiss brings over 23 years of special education expertise gained in the classroom and as an administrator. She will continue to lead the district’s newly independent special education program implemented at the start of the 2013-2014 school year.

Previously, District 86 special education students received services from the LaGrange Area Department of Special Education (LADSE).  The district withdrew from the LADSE last July, to better address the specific needs of District 86 students and to more efficiently allocate the resources required to provide essential services, a district news release said.

Prentiss currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Cooperative Association of Special Education (CASE), an educational cooperative with which seven DuPage County school districts have contracts to provide services to over 4,000 special education students.  Prior to CASE, Prentiss spent five years as a special education teacher in Community Consolidated School District 93, successively rising to Assistant Principal and Principal of Stratford Middle School in Carol Stream, and ultimately Director of Special Education for the entire district.

“Tammy’s deep commitment to special education as demonstrated by her achievements over the progression of her career is what made her stand out among all the other candidates,” remarked Superintendent Dr. Bruce Law. “Her success in leading at the building and district level general ed and special ed instruction and enhancing educational programming has shown improved student outcomes and increased parental satisfaction."

Prentiss said she was excited to get started on the district's new special education program in its inaugural year.

“Every student’s educational journey is unique,” said Prentiss. “I am excited to be joining District 86 during its inaugural year with this program and I look forward to working in collaboration with our families, faculty and staff to deploy all the resources we now have in place to fully develop the potential in all of our students.”

Prentiss holds a Bachelor of Science degree, cum laude, in education; a Master of Science degree in educational administration; a Master of Science degree in special education; and an Education Specialist degree in educational administration, all conferred by Northern Illinois University.

Source: Dist. 58