Highland Middle School Principal To Retire In July

Libertyville Elementary District 70 Principal Sharon Aspinall will retire at the end of the school year after an illustrious career that includes a .

Aspinall, who has been an administrator at the school for 15 years, is stepping down because, as she says, it is the right time for her and her family. The school board recently accepted her resignation.

Career Started In Arlington Heights

A hands-on leader who frequently works besides her staff instead of just giving directions, Aspinall began her career as a special education teacher in an Arlington Heights elementary school. The mentally tough administrator with a tender heart always had a desire to be a teacher and decided early on to help the physically and mentally challenged.

“It was a kindergarten-through-fifth-grade school, and we were one of the first to start mainstreaming,” Aspinall said, referring to educating special education students in regular classrooms. “Back then it wasn’t done, now it’s the norm.”

After eight years, Aspinall stayed home to begin raising a family with Jeff, a former paramedic and captain with the Countryside Fire Department. But even two lively daughters – who went on to become special education teachers – wasn’t enough for the busy mom. In 1989, she began working part-time for District 70, working with children with learning disabilities at Highland. A year later, she was hired full-time.

“I worked one day and got sick with leukemia,” says Aspinall, who has battled cancer a few times and won. At 34, with two little girls, Aspinall found herself in the hospital for four months. By January, she returned to work part-time and hit full-time status in April as a resource teacher.

Fearless Leader

She is, understandably, fearless. She does not back down from a challenge and she embraces change. Her traits are almost a perfect fit for middle school students, who can be brutally honest and, innocently, do not always make the right choices.

By 1994, she was an administrative intern at Highland, moving into the assistant principal role a year later.

“I like change, I like to do different things,” Aspinall said of her transition from teacher to administrator. “I also knew strongly I wanted to be involved with children, so I had to figure that out.”

Figure it out she did. Connecting with students and encouraging leadership traits in teachers, Aspinall became the Highland Middle School principal in 2001.

Known for having a tender heart for students who are struggling, Aspinall says, “I look for a child’s strengths and work with that.”

She adds, matter-of-factly, “We all have weaknesses.”

Always child-centered, Aspinall adds reflectively that middle school “is the hardest age for kids. But this is when they are the most interesting. Their bodies and souls are a little mixed up at this point. But this is also when they are the most impressive – they can learn to be advocates for themselves, they can be guided to make good decisions, they can become good listeners. I have 900 students here, I want to be part of their lives; a positive part of their lives.”

Building Future Leaders

As an administrator, Aspinall has worked to build her teaching team as well, with only four teachers left from when she first joined the school. She has hired 60 new teachers, a tremendous turnover, but it is one that has transitioned smoothly through the years because of her clear leadership and direct approach.

She likes to build leaders among her teachers, and has encouraged them to step up to provide academic and club events after school. Aspinall quickly credits a supportive Board of Education that has allowed her to try new ideas, including creating 21st century classrooms with tables and sofas and . “You couldn’t ask for a better place to grow and try new things,” she says.

The future to Aspinall, who admits moving on is bittersweet but knows that her time has come, includes mentoring principals, teaching a master’s program and traveling.

“You never know what’s going to happen tomorrow,” Aspinall says, “but I’m still young. There are many new adventures waiting for me.”