News & Announcements

The BSD2 Board of Education approved the appointment of Lydia Ryan to be the District’s next Assistant Superintendent for Teaching & Learning during its May 21 meeting. 

Ms. Ryan will officially join the District on July 1.

For the past three years, Ms. Ryan has served as the Chief of Academics and Schools Management and the Interim Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Evanston/Skokie School District 65. In District 65, she has supported the rollout of new literacy and math curricular resources, led school leaders in professional learning centered on district instructional priorities, and created structures and systems to ensure efficient and consistent operations at the school and district levels.

“Throughout her career, Ms. Ryan has demonstrated a strong ability to build meaningful relationships and foster collaborative, empowered teams," said Dr. Katie McCluskey, BSD2 Superintendent of Schools. “She is deeply committed to student success and is known for her thoughtful, solution-oriented approach. Colleagues describe her as a reflective listener who consistently seeks to understand before acting and always strives for the best outcomes for students, staff, and families. Ms. Ryan’s leadership will be a tremendous asset to our district.”

Ms. Ryan began her career in education as a middle and high school English teacher in Chicago Public Schools. She served students on the south, west, and northwest sides of the city, teaching English, reading, and college and career planning.

In 2015, she became the assistant principal at Chicago Academy High School on Chicago’s northwest side, serving in that role for two years before becoming the principal. At Chicago Academy, she drove overall improvements across student performance, staff development, community engagement, and capital expenditures. Highlights of her tenure at Chicago Academy include:

• Boosting the four-year graduation rate by nearly 25 percent.
• Increasing scholarship awards to graduates by 26 percent. 
• Achieving 97.3 percent freshman on-track.
• Improving the 5Essentials rating from “Partially Organized” to “Well Organized” in one school year.

Ms. Ryan holds a bachelor’s degree in secondary English education from Purdue University, and master’s degree in school leadership from Harvard University. She also holds a K-12 learning behavior specialist 1 endorsement.

“I am truly excited to join the Bensenville community and become part of the District 2 team,” said Ms. Ryan. “I look forward to building trusting relationships with staff, students, and families as we work together to continue to create high-quality learning environments that exude joy and love and promote improved outcomes for all students. I cannot wait to continue the work here in District 2.”