U-46's Torres headed to Illinois Math and Science Academy

By Madhu Krishnamurthy & Lee Filas of Daily Herald 

By José Torres is stepping down as superintendent of Elgin Area School District U-46 to become the president of Aurora-based Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy.

Torres could not be reached for comment, but sent an email statement to district employees Friday morning.

"It was a difficult decision to make," Torres wrote. "Serving you as superintendent the past six years has been one of the most rewarding periods of my life."

Torres said he is working with the school board to determine his last day on the job and "to ensure that we have a smooth transition and that the school year gets off to a great start."

U-46 school board President Donna Smith in an emailed statement thanked Torres for his service.

"The board would like to thank Dr. José Torres for his six years of service to the 40,000 U-46 students, our staff, and our 11 communities," she said. "In the coming weeks, the board will determine how it will proceed with selecting a leader who can keep our district moving in the right direction, ensure consistency in our leadership, and provide stability across our district."

Torres was named superintendent in 2008 after serving as regional superintendent at Chicago Public Schools. He also has worked in school districts in California, Baltimore and Washington, D.C.

Torres' last contract extension is set to expire June 30, 2016.

His departure comes at a critical time as the Elgin Teachers Association is negotiation its contract, which expires Aug. 18, said union President Kathy Castle.

"We are in the middle of trying to ratify a tentative agreement on the teacher's contract," Castle said. "There's a lot going on with the start of the school year, new teacher orientation, and we're hiring between 130 and 150 teachers."

Castle said though the union membership hasn't always been in agreement with Torres' decisions, his efforts toward bridging the communication gap with parents and the community were appreciated.

"He did a good job of reaching out to our diverse community and creating increased involvement with the community and parents," she said. "The ETA wishes him well in this new path he has chosen. We appreciate his service to the U-46 school community. We recognize that he brought some significant changes to the district."

Torres was selected as IMSA's fourth president after a national search.

"From a strong candidate pool, Dr. Torres emerged as our clear choice," IMSA Board Chairman Sheila Griffin said. "Our board was impressed by his intellectual curiosity, commitment to excellence and equity, entrepreneurial mindset, and candor and authenticity. We look forward to collaborating with him to develop and help others develop world-class diverse talent in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) to benefit Illinois and advance the human condition here in Illinois, nationally and globally."

The IMSA board will vote on hiring Torres at its Aug. 20 meeting. He is expected to start there in September. Torres replaces Catherine Veal, who served as interim president after Glenn W. "Max" McGee retired last summer.

Torres has served in various leadership roles, including regional superintendent/area instruction officer in Chicago Public Schools, and as the only superintendent on the Federal Equity and Excellence Commission of the United States Department of Education.

Earlier this year, Torres was one of three educators nationwide to receive the 2014 Dr. Effie H. Jones Humanitarian Award from the AASA, the School Superintendent's Association.

Torres was recognized for addressing persistent gaps in achievement by establishing an office of Equity and Social Justice, the first of its kind at U-46. He also created the Ten Boys mentorship initiative and the Superintendent Scholarship Program, donating his own funds to provide financial assistance for students who are the first in their families to attend college.

Torres also was named board chairman of the Elgin Area Chamber of Commerce in January.