After their original hire turned down the job in July, Proviso Township High School District 209 has found and hired a principal for Proviso Math and Science Academy. Pending approval by the District 209 Financial Oversight Panel at a special meeting Aug. 7, Dr. Bessie Karvelas should be ready for the PMSA “principal meet and greet” on Aug. 12.
At a special meeting, Aug. 1, the D209 school board voted to hire Karvelas, a former Chicago Public School high school principal, who headed Von Humboldt School for four years and Lincoln Park High School for six. After that she was acting deputy chief of Chicago Public High Schools for two years. Most recently, she served as acting principal of Hubbard High School in Chicago’s West Lawn neighborhood on the Southwest Side for six months.
Karvelas may have experience that can help PMSA get programs implemented that would put the school side-by-side in ranking cohorts with similar schools in the state. Specifically, she has experience with Advanced Placement programs and the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program.
PMSA received a $49,000 grant from College Board to start teaching AP curriculum last year. The district said those classes could begin as soon as the 2013-14 school year.
Karvelas was hired for a two-year contract and will earn a base salary of $130,000.
Cheryl Hudson, former principal of Rich South High School in District 227, declined the PMSA principal job after being offered the position of assistant superintendent in Rich Township in July.
