After being bypassed in his quest to become superintendent of the School District 187, longtime administrator James Walker announced Tuesday his resignation from the district.
With “very, very mixed feelings,” Associate Superintendent Walker said he had accepted a new post as assistant superintendent at Aptakisic-Tripp Elementary District 102 in Buffalo Grove, effective July 25.
Walker said his duties at District 102 will include personnel matters, special education, and federal and state funding.
“I’ve spent 15 years of my life here on behalf of the students of North Chicago,” Walker said. “If we could have worked something out with the board, I would have enjoyed staying here.”
North Chicago school board President Theodore Hudson and the district’s teacher’s union pushed for Walker’s promotion to the district’s top job after Walker temporarily took over North Chicago’s superintendent duties in a February administrative shake-up.
But Walker said three out of four board members did not support him as superintendent. He said he did not want to work for a divided board.
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“Being superintendent is a difficult enough job, and you need the absolute support of your school board,” Walker said. “I felt I would have an inordinate amount of questioning of my abilities as a superintendent, and I didn’t need the stress.”
The board is continuing to search for a superintendent, with help from the Illinois State School Board Association.