Woodland District 50 Announces New Superintendent Of Schools

Grayslake IL

01 February, 2022

1:00 PM

Description

Press release from Woodland School District 50: Feb. 1, 2022 Woodland School District 50 is pleased to announce that Dr. Robert Machak will be the new Superintendent of Schools starting July 1, 2022. The Board of Education approved Dr. Machak for the position at the January 27 Monthly Governing Meeting. Dr. Machak is currently the Associate Superintendent of Education for Woodland District 50. He joined the #LifeintheW team in July of 2020 after serving as the Superintendent of Schools for District 124 in Evergreen Park for eight years. He will be replacing Dr. Lori Casey, who is scheduled to retire at the end of June. Dr. Machak started at Woodland during uncertain times as school districts across the country were dealing with the COVID-19 health crisis. With his dedication to educational equity, he was able to implement programs and supports for students both academically and socially. He quickly developed relationships in the community to secure donations for a weekly food drive and supported families by connecting them with resources for child care and other programs needed as families struggled with balancing work and remote learning. Dr. Machak also started a winter break assistance program and expanded Woodland's summer program to help students who needed additional support due to pandemic disruptions. Dr. Carla Little, President of the Woodland Board of Education stated, "Dr. Machak has already brought so much to our school district since joining the team in 2020, and I'm looking forward to working with him in the role of Superintendent. Throughout his career in education he has shown great care and compassion for the students in his care, and has a strong reputation for building relationships and advocating for school and district staff. The Board of Education is confident that Dr. Machak will make an excellent leader for this district, and we wish Dr. Casey all the best in her retirement." Dr. Little emphasized that one of the most significant mitigation strategies for keeping Woodland students learning in-person was the district's ability to get SHIELD testing up and running for the 2021-2022 school year. This effort was led by Dr. Machak, which started with a pilot program during the expanded summer school program in July 2021. To date, Woodland has collected and analyzed more than 38,000 samples from district students and staff. Dr. Machak, along with the Health Office and school administrators, has also implemented the Test to Stay program in conjunction with the Lake County Health Department, which helps our students stay in school as long as they are symptom free and continue to test negative for COVID. Lake County has been recognized at the national level for Test to Stay and Woodland is part of that success story because of Dr. Machak. Dr. Machak has 12 years of experience as a Superintendent in PreK-8 elementary school districts, serving in the top spot at both Evergreen Park District 124 and Emmons School District 33 in Antioch. Throughout his 30-year career in Education, he has served in numerous administrative roles such as principal, assistant principal, and various district level administrative positions providing him with a wide range of knowledge for curriculum, operations, and business manager functions. Schools and school districts under Machak's leadership have been honored with numerous designations and national awards: the Blue Ribbon Award of Academic Excellence, the Illinois Horizon Schools "School to Watch" award, Illinois-ASCD's Whole Child Award, ISBE's Early Childhood Gold Circle of Quality Award, and designation as a Service Learning Leader School by the Corporation for National Service. Woodland's current Superintendent, Dr. Lori Casey commented, "I have been part of this amazing district for nearly 25 years and I believe that Dr. Machak is a great fit for this learning community. He will be able to step up and take Woodland to the next level. I respect and admire his leadership style and I look forward to watching him apply those talents to a district that means so much to me personally and professionally." With the Board of Education making their selection in January, district leaders have a solid timeline for a smooth transition in July. Dr. Machak will have several months to work with Dr. Casey and other stakeholders as he prepares for his new role. Dr. Machak stated, "I am honored to be selected as the next Superintendent and I appreciate the Board placing their trust in me to lead the district. Every day, I have the privilege of working with an incredible group of teachers and staff, a dedicated administrative team, and amazing students and their families. I have loved every minute of my time here; Woodland has quickly become home to me and we have so much to look forward to together." Dr. Machak has been married to his wife Kathy for 31 years. They have a daughter in 4th grade. This press release was produced by Woodland School District 50. The views expressed here are the author's own.