Lisa Engel loves working with middle school students because they are at the age when they need guidance and can be reached effectively.
“They’re funny,” said Engel, the new principal at Springman Middle School in Glenview. “They roll their eyes at us, but they look to us. We want to shape who they are and who we want them to be. It’s my favorite age group.”
Engel, who spent the last three years as assistant principal for teaching and learning at Springman, taught language arts at a Naperville-Plainfield middle school for 10 years and served as a school counselor in Deerfield School District 209 for three years before coming to Springman four years ago.
She sought the principal job at Springman because Engel loves the Glenview community and becoming a principal “has been my goal for quite some time.”
“I wanted to be a teacher since age 7,” she said. “When I became a teacher mentor, I started working with teachers. I love supporting teachers, especially helping new teachers become more effective in the classroom.”
Engel said she spent the last few years learning about Springman and Glenview and jumped at the opportunity to become principal when her predecessor, Megan Russell, left to become director of human resources at Barrington Community Unit School District 220.
“It felt like an awesome opportunity for becoming a principal because I already knew so much about the school and already loved it,” she said. “I loved being an assistant principal here. Every staff member gives their all for the kids everyday. We have a close administration and front office staff.”
Engel said two of her most important goals at Springman are continuing to promote inclusiveness and improving communication.
“We’ve worked on increasing the feeling of belonging, and making families comfortable and students and staff love being here,” she said. “I’ve always been a good communicator and I want to encourage and increase open communication. My goal is to make sure students feel safe, happy and inclusive. Then academics come along with it.”
Springman has accomplished a great deal in the last five years, Engel said. In 2020, Glenview School District 34 voters approved a referendum calling for spending $119 million to repair, replace and update buildings, in particular Springman.
“We have had major construction two or three of my first four years here,” she said. “It’s hard in the summer, but now we have a fabulous gym and we can host sporting events and all school assemblies.”
Among the improvements are a “beautiful” atrium, state-of-the-art cafeteria, state-of-the-art science labs and a new main office, Engel said.
“Our support team is all in one place,” she said. “It’s a one-stop place for all services.”
Academically, the district has spent the last two years achieving “exemplary” academic growth and improving its core curriculum, she said.
“Our teachers have worked very hard to work with students,” Engel said. “They’re proactive when they catch students who still struggle while challenging students who need challenges.”
Springman recently added a school resource officer, Officer Maria Nava of the Glenview police, who is very popular among students, Engel said.
“She helps us keep safe and secure,” she said. “She is everybody’s favorite person in the building.”
Despite all the progress, Engel plans to continue to work on improving communication and making sure all stakeholders feel included and like they belong at Springman.
“Every place has areas for growth,” she said.
Springman is fully staffed with 133 staff members, including teaching assistants, Engel said.
Engel has four children, all boys, ages 4, 10, 13 and 14, who attend public schools in Lake Forest.
“I love my job,” she said. “It’s my favorite place to be, but don’t tell my kids that.”
