Superintendent Turnover on Acceleration Denied

In Memoriam: District 97's Superintendents (2021-2026)

Sat, 06 Dec 2025 11:30:00 -0600

This post is a follow-up to The Authority Vacuum, written just six days before everything changed again.

On November 30, 2025, I wrote about Oak Park District 97’s superintendent instability. I documented four leadership structures in four years. I noted that the same interim team from 2021-2022 was back for 2025-2026.

I concluded optimistically: “Powell and Wernet will serve through the 2025-2026 school year. That’s good—stability matters.”

Three days later, Wernet announced she’s resigning.

The Authority Vacuum: How Superintendent Churn Creates Risk-Averse Principals

Sun, 30 Nov 2025 18:00:00 -0600

When I asked Principal Hussain Ali to let my daughter take a math assessment in his building—a routine request that any principal could approve—he escalated it to the district office.

When I asked him to advocate for my daughter’s acceleration, he said he was “happy to” but only through a formal district appeal process.

When I requested a meeting to discuss his role as principal versus district implementer, he offered to meet—but only with a district representative present.