Ms. Karen Daly has been named the new Coordinator of the School District 21-Illinois State University (ISU) Professional Development School, pending official approval by the Board of Education at its meeting on August 26, 2010.

The School District 21-Illinois State University Professional Development School has been in existence for fifteen years. The main focus of this program is the year-long student internship program that sees students from Illinois State University culminate their undergraduate experience with a combination of college classes, classroom observation, teaching opportunities, and student teaching in Wheeling in School District 21. Over the years, School District 21 has benefited from this program in a number of ways, including: the dozens of teachers that have been hired by District 21 who have graduated from this program as well as by the impact that serving as a mentor teacher has had to veteran District 21 teachers on their own professional growth. Over the life of the program, it has even seen many former District 21 students successfully come back and serve as student interns and in many cases, go on to serve as teachers in the District following their graduation.

In assuming the leadership of the CCSD21-ISU Professional Development School, Ms. Daly comes from having served as a core academic teacher at London Middle School during the past two years. Prior to that, Ms. Daly had previously taught at London Middle School in its opening years as well as at Holmes Middle School. Ms. Daly taught for one year at Thomas Metcalf Laboratory School on the campus of Illinois State University, and she served for a number of years as an Instructional Specialist at District 21's Administration Center leading curriculum and professional development initiatives and workshops in elementary schools throughout District 21. Ms. Daly earned her Bachelor's Degree at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and holds Master's Degrees from both Illinois State University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Ms. Daly is also a National Board Certified Teacher.

Ms. Daly's strong relationships with teachers and administrators throughout School District 21, her knowledge of assessment and instruction, and her strengths in providing professional development to practicing educators will benefit the Illinois State University student interns, current District 21 instructional staff members, and the students of School District 21.