Central is hiring a new Physical Education, Drivers Education and Health Sciences (PE) department chair for the 2024-25 school year.
Central’s current PE department chair, Neil Duncan, is stepping down as department chair returning to the classroom full time next year, creating the opening. Duncan has been a department chair at Central since 2010.
Duncan declined to comment on his decision to step down.
Department chairs create the master schedule for their department, work to develop curriculum and manage the day-to-day operations of their department. They also teach just two sections a semester, whereas a normal full-time teacher teaches five.
Central administrators are currently interviewing candidates for the job.
“We plan for two rounds of in-person interviews,” Principal Jackie Thornton said. “From there we’ll narrow it to two candidates that we will bring back next week for a final round of interviews. We’re hoping to have a decision by spring break.”
According to Thornton, most P.E. department programs should be unaffected by the change.
“Some of the major changes to the department have been underway for the last two-plus years because all of our department chairs have engaged in a process that we’re calling the visioning process,” Thornton said. “In alignment with the Illinois legislation around career pathways and diploma endorsements, we have been under the extensive process of looking at ‘what courses do we offer? Why do we offer them? do we think that they are still future focused?’ So you’re going to start to see suggestions for changes in every department including PE. Some of those major changes have been underway, and the new department chair will carry them into implementation. There will be some learning for the new person to do to catch up on the ‘why were these recommendations and decisions made’ and then for the implementation part, but I don’t think it’s going to interrupt the progress.”
