Moving into the Superintendency

Thomas A. Kersten is associate professor emeritus in educational leadership at Roosevelt University in Chicago and Schaumburg, Illinois. He has served as an Illinois school administrator for twenty-eight years in the roles of assistant principal, elementary school principal, middle school principal, assistant superintendent, and superintendent. He is also the author of Stepping into Administration: How to Succeed in Making the Move, which focuses on helping new administrators make the transition from teaching to school administration successfully.

Described by peers and school board executives as student-focused, collaborative, goal-oriented and data-driven, Dr. Kara Coglianese smiles and modestly describes her nearly 30 years in education as a teacher, administrator, national speaker, and professional development trainer as simply 'a labor of love.' "I feel incredibly blessed to be able to wake up every day and do what I love - and that's to help improve the lives of children," she said.