Adrian Talley, the superintendent of Indian Prairie School District 204, was recently named Educator of the Year by the DuPage Regional Office of Education.
Talley — along with other winners from districts in Wheaton, Hinsdale, Naperville and other areas in the county — was recognized at an event on May 1, according to a news release from the DuPage Regional Office of Education.
Joining neighboring counties’ offices which give out annual educator awards, this was the DuPage Regional Office of Education’s first time hosting such an event, and it plans to make it an annual tradition.
Talley took over as superintendent of the district in 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to past reporting.
Since then, he said a major focus of his leadership has been efforts focused on mental health.
In recent years, the district has secured a $1.25 million grant from Endeavor Health for school-based counseling services, along with a $500,000 state grant for counseling for high school students and a $500,000 grant from Edward Elmhurst Health for mental health assistance for students in lower grades.
The district also recently held its third annual mental health symposium, which now includes participation from nearby school districts.
The DuPage Regional Office of Education recognized Talley for these initiatives, as well as his “commitment to equity, innovation and student-centered learning,” the office’s news release noted.
The mental health efforts are also some of the accomplishments Talley told The Beacon-News he’s most proud of during his time with the district. He noted that Indian Prairie has shared the district’s free counseling concept with 20 other school districts, and helped them write their grant applications.
Talley said he was nominated by the district’s assistant superintendent of equity and innovation Nader Najjar, who coordinated the letters of recommendation submitted on Talley’s behalf for the award. He said winning the award was a “complete surprise.”
“I don’t work for this,” Talley said of the award. “I think it’s important that I’m doing the work, I’m orchestrating some of this and I have the people around me who make it all possible.”
Talley also noted the district’s work on equity during his tenure: establishing equity ambassadors in district schools, forming an equity plan and continuing work with staff on affinity groups.
And he said, aside from the awards, the day-to-day recognition of teachers and school employees is appreciated too.
Talley said he has letters “that are more than 20 years old” that parents have sent him.
“It’s like, when I’m moving, I’ll look at them, and I’m like, ‘I’m gonna keep this letter. I will always have this letter,’” he said.
Now, as Talley prepares for his last school year at Indian Prairie before stepping down, he said he plans to continue work on mental health efforts, among his other responsibilities. He said the district has another grant application in the works right now.
“One of the things I learned in education: you never complete anything,” he said. “There’s always stuff that’s unfinished … it was very hard for me to say I wanted to walk away, knowing that I had all of this work that still needed to be done. And so, from construction work to work that we’re doing on grading and reporting.”
He said he’s focused on ensuring a smooth transition for his successor — keeping track of the work he does on a monthly basis so the new superintendent understands the expectations of the job, for example.
“I don’t think I’ll finish anything,” Talley said, “but have it ready for the new superintendent to pick up.”
mmorrow@chicagotribune.com
