A lot of long-distance so-longs right now. In Forest Park we’re saying goodbye to Bill Milnamow, retiring from the District 91 public schools after 20 years. Milnamow has been at Betsy Ross all those years as its principal.
That’s pretty remarkable all by itself. Tough job being a principal and finding the individual with the stamina to do it in the same place for two decades is rare. Finding a school community, or a subset of a school community, that doesn’t cause a squawk enough to lead to a principal’s departure in all that time is rarer still.
But at Betsy Ross, Mr. Milnamow is making his virtual exit with the wind still at his back. Our story this week quotes Betsy Ross teachers, the school secretary, parents and administrative colleagues testifying to his perpetually strong connection to students, his combination of active involvement with teachers while allowing them room to teach, his underlying belief in collaboration as a management style.
And Milnamow offers his hosannas to Forest Park as he departs with praise for the Betsy community, with appreciation for leaders of all of Forest Park’s institutions.
“It’s a wonderful place to be. I can’t imagine a better place to work or be a part of,” he says.
Those are thoughts that are reciprocated.
