Assistant Superintendent Leaving Valley View

After 16 years with , Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Faith Dahlquist is leaving to take an administrative position with Wheaton-Warrenville Community Unit School District 200.

In a press release announcing Dahlquist’s departure, Community Relations Director Larry Randa said she will finish out the school year and remain in her position until the end of June. In July, she’ll become Wheaton-Warrenville’s assistant superintendent of educational services.

Dahlquist joined Valley View in 1995. She assumed her current role last summer after spending three years as assistant superintendent for grades K-5. She also served as both principal and assistant principal at in Bolingbrook, and has taught fourth-grade, sixth-grade and high school algebra for three Illinois school districts.

 “This was a really difficult decision for me,” Dahlquist said of accepting her new position. “Valley View has been my family and my passion for 16 years.”

She’s seen a lot of changes during those years.

“We’ve added some schools since I was first here,” Dahlquist said, adding the district has grown along with the towns it serves. “When I first was driving to work, there was hardly anything along Weber Road.”

And technology has changed with the times, Dahlquist added.

“When I started at Independence, we had one computer in the school to share,” she said. Now, students often work from laptops, and teachers use smartboards to conduct classes.

“Even if e-mail goes down for an hour, we don’t know what to do,” Dahlquist said, laughing.

The district has also become much more diverse in terms of student demographics.

“That’s been great to see,” she said.

Dahlquist acknowledged that her depature is a bit bittersweet.

“It’s been a rollercoaster,” she said. “Yesterday as the news broke around the district, we were all passing Kleenex around.”

Her role in Wheaton-Warrenville will be much like her position in Valley View.

“I’ll still be working on improving student achievement,” she said.”

The announcement of Dahlquist’s exit comes as the district implements future superintendent James Mitchem’s administrative restructuring plan.

“I will be here until June 30 and will be a part of the planning,” she said.

Dahlquist isn’t the only high-level administrator leaving Valley View this summer. Mitchem, currently the principal of Bolingbrook High School, will take the reins this July when Superintendent Phillip Schoffstall retires.

"Faith's experience and professional dedication to students and staff, as well as her extensive curriculum knowledge, will be greatly missed,” Schoffstall said. “We extend to Faith our best wishes as she assumes new opportunities in the new assignment."