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His style: Weninger often closed board meetings with award presentations. Here he and Dee Millard present McLean Peterson with a drama award.
Oak Park & River Forest High School |
| | Accomplishments and controversies during Weninger years | |
Attila Weninger was hired in May 2007, but his tenure got off to rocky start before officially taking over as District 200 superintendent.
When the school board announced their decision to hire him in April 2007, he was immediately opposed by some parents; their main argument was that he lacked a strong background in dealing with the achievement gap. Weninger, though, had his supporters, including some parents. The board's vote was 6-1, with Dietra Millard, the board's current president, as the lone dissenter. On that same night, a new board was sworn in due to it being an election year. Critics accused the old board of ramming through Weninger's hiring.
His tenure at Oak Park and River Forest High School had successes and controversies.
Shortly after taking over, Weninger and his administrators created an extensive plan to raise student achievement and address the achievement gap. Dubbed, "The October Plan" even before its presentation to the board and community in October 2007, it was slammed by some who felt it didn't go far enough in specifically addressing those black OPRF students entangled in the gap.
Weninger has had some notable achievements.
Among his first initiatives was restructuring the deans and counselors at the high school to better serve students in the discipline pipeline. That also involved relocating the deans and counselors together in one office space. Weninger and his administrators said that has helped the school serve those students.
He also looked to boost diversity among the teaching and administrative ranks by increasing minority hires. Though critics question whether more could have been done to achieve that goal, Weninger did increase diversity, including hiring a black principal and assistant principal.
In spring 2007, however, the superintendent faced scrutiny after failing to attribute a Vietnam War story he referenced during a Memorial Day school assembly to its original source, then presidential candidate John McCain. Weninger had said it was told to him by his brother, who also served in Vietnam. He initially maintained that he did not attribute it to his brother. A video later surfaced of the May 22, OPRF assembly showing that he did. Weninger apologized afterward. He said he didn't remember attributing the story to his brother and insisted that what he did was a mistake but not plagiarism, as some critics accused him of.
Ten days after the incident, the school board in a special executive session discussed possible disciplinary actions, but ended up taking none. The board, though, did say that he showed poor judgment in not identifying the story's true author.
Weninger was hired from Lyons Township High School in LaGrange where he served as director of human resources from 2004 to 2007. Prior to that, he served as director of curriculum and instruction for eight years. A married father of three, he lived in Oak Park in the 1970s and 1980s.
CONTACT: tdean@wjinc.com
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Weninger - in his own words
OPRF superintendent recalls challenges, addresses criticisms of leadership style
By TERRY DEAN
Staff Reporter
Controlling. Holds a grudge. Autocratic.
Those are some of the criticisms leveled at Attila Weninger during his time as District 200 superintendent. And he disputes each one. Weninger announced two weeks ago that he would retire next June at the end of his contract. Weeks of deliberations with the Dist. 200 Board of Education failed to produce an extension. Weninger said his decision to retire was not linked to not getting an extension, and added that a majority of the board supported what his administration tried to do in the last three years. Still, during his time as superintendent, his critics among parents and some faculty at Oak Park and River Forest High School have been vocal in their displeasure with him. But at last Thursday's Dist. 200 school board meeting, supporters, including River Forest trustee and former Huskie Booster President Mike Gibbs, expressed appreciation for his service and disappointment in his decision to retire.
Weninger talked to Wednesday Journal about his tenure, and responded to criticisms of his leadership style.
Concerning coming in as superintendent and making changes, and how those related to criticisms of his style.
"When I came in, there were a large number of things to be done that many superintendents don't have to face. The administrative reorganization, which included the employment of a new principal which the school hadn't had in 24 years; there was an urgency to doing something with the achievement gap. Internally, there were other issues in the school that people wanted addressed...And I think that, sometimes, maybe people are looking for silver bullets to things, and they don't exist. So I would say that, clearly, my style of leadership was one of coming in and saying, we've got to be organized. We have to be efficient; we have to keep kids at the forefront of what we do ... And when you confront these large issues, you listen very carefully to the people around you and then you have to make decisions and you go with those. It can't constantly be where you are trying to accommodate every single voice. You have to listen to those voices, but at the end of the day you have to decide to do something, you do it and then you implement it. Maybe that style was not something some people within the school were used to. And clearly there were decisions made that groups within the school didn't agree with."
Concerning disagreements with teachers and OPRF's Faculty Senate (teachers union) with some of his decisions.
"I think that there were decisions that the faculty senate disagreed with, but I think your job as a superintendent is not to sit back and make decisions with which people are only going to be happy. I think you have to make decisions that are in the best interest of the kids and of the school, because that's your responsibility. And I think it's fair to say that I'm not one to shy away from those, and I'm not shy about sticking with something that we think is in the best interest of kids in the school."
Addressing criticisms that he's controlling and holds a grudge against those who oppose him.
"I don't think that I'm a controlling person or a professional at all. I think that when you're a strong leader, I wouldn't say that you take control of things, but you clearly have to set out a path, and you have to make sure that people are on that path. And, in my opinion, I think good leaders do that. And, again, maybe in some instances the community and some groups in the school took issue with that. And I guess my response to that (holding a grudge); it would be almost the same as the question about control. I don't hold grudges and I don't know where that comes from. Unless someone can be very specific about what that means and can give me specifics, I have to tell you that the people who know me best absolutely know that that is not true and is unfounded. I don't do that. If people have said or done things to me or about me, and I become aware of them, I go to that person and say, 'This is what I've been told, can you verify this or not and can we work this out.' I try to work things out. I don't sit back and hold grudges. Life is too short for that."
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Reader Comments
Posted: Friday, October 30, 2009
Article comment by:
Lee Coleman
Well qualified, concerned for the students, and extremely hard working. Now the School Board is going to find someone else with those qualities, AND additional ones that will make the high school's many "stakeholders' happy. Good luck!
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