Schools

Mokena SD 159 Hires New Assistant Supt.

The 35-year-old teacher has nearly a decade of experience serving the L-Way area educational system.

Mokena School District 159 recently hired former Lincoln-Way East assistant principal Kathleen Wilkey to replace outgoing Charles Vitton as the new assistant superintendent of instruction, reports the Sun-Times Media.

All but one school board member voted in favor of hiring Wilkey. Patrick Markham was the exception, voting “present,” because he thinks her starting salary of $103,000 is too high considering she has no prior superintendent experience, according to the Sun-Times Media.

The 35-year-old does, however, have eight years of administrative and educational experience in the Lincoln-Way area, three in curriculum coordination for Morris school districts and the past two in math and science coordination for Elmhurst Community Unit School District. She says a priority for Mokena will be to focus on the effectiveness, efficiency and fiscal responsibility of school programs to “do what’s best for the kids,” according to reports.

Find out what's happening in Mokenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.

“I really, truly loved the community and the schools when I worked in the Lincoln-Way area,” Wilkey told the Sun-Times Media. “What a great opportunity to come back. It’s a great community.”

Wilkey currently holds a master’s degree in educational administration from Governors State University, and she’s working on a PhD from Illinois State University, which she hopes to finish by the end of the year.

Find out what's happening in Mokenawith free, real-time updates from Patch.


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