New Trier officials praise retiring Superintendent Dr. Sally in his final meeting

It was a celebration of Dr. Paul Sally Monday evening, as the New Trier High School Board of Education honored the retiring superintendent after 31 years of service to the district.

Sally, who has been superintendent since 2017, was attending his final School Board meeting on June 2 leading up to his June 30 retirement.

Board President Jean Hahn began by praising Sally’s tenure and his accomplishments as superintendent, including his development of the New Trier 2030 strategic plan, the creation of the district’s statement on critical thinking and civil discourse, his leadership through the COVID-19 pandemic, and working to make sure everybody at New Trier feels that they belong at the school.

“Dr. Sally, we thank you for your 31 years of service, your wisdom, your compassion, your unwavering belief in the power of public education, and your humor,” she said. “You have left New Trier better than you found it. You will be greatly missed, but your influence will endure in the students’ lives you shaped, and the educators you inspired, and the community you served in. We wish you nothing but joy, adventure, and well-deserved rest in this next chapter.”

Board Vice President Sally Tomlinson said, thanks to the strategic plan, she can tell people who ask about New Trier that the district is “going great.”

“I think the reason I can say that is because the strategic plan leaves no room for uncertainty,” she said. “It lays out our mission, our vision, our values as a community and as an institution. And that is a tremendous gift that you have given us all and will continue to give.”

Board Member Joo Serk Lee, who only took office last month, said while he hasn’t had the chance to work with Sally often, he will never forget their first interaction.

That encounter happened a couple years ago when Lee, as a parent, expressed a concern in an email to Sally.

“I went to fill a glass of water, and by the time I came back, you had already responded,” he said. “And that told me everything that I needed to know about you.”

Associate Superintendent Dr. Chris Johnson shared a slide that shared some facts about Sally’s tenure, including that he has worked at New Trier for more than 11,300 days, attended 115 regular and special School Board meetings, and wrote around 370 weekly letters to the board.

Incoming superintendent Dr. Peter Tragos, who is the district’s current assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, said the administrative team bonded under Sally’s leadership. He read from emails that had been sent by fellow administrators when Tragos asked them, “When you think of Paul, what comes to mind and why?”

Among the responses were, “He’s a great listener,” “He’s quick to praise and credit others,” “He’s laid back and approachable,” and “People feel seen and heard” by Sally.

“On behalf of the entire administrative team, thank you for being you,” Tragos said. “Because of you, we are a better team, better leaders (and) better people.”

Sally offers thanks

When it was his turn to speak, Sally thanked everyone for their “very kind words,” and called his time at New Trier “deeply rewarding.”

“I chose to go into high school education because I believe deeply in the vital role public high school plays in the community,” he said. “Nowhere is that role more powerfully realized than here at New Trier.”

He said that New Trier has been a leader and model for high school education and will continue to be in the future. Further, he said that the district is important not just for students and the community, “but for our region, our state and beyond.”

Sally thanked the community for supporting him and allowing him to be a part of New Trier for 31 years and all the board members he’s worked with over the past eight years, thanking them for their “unwavering commitment to students, to staff, to the community and to public education. That commitment is, without question, unmatched anywhere I’ve seen.”

He also called the staff “simply incredible,” and said without his fellow administrators, “There is no chance I’d be standing here without the support you’ve given me and your commitment to this institution.”

Sally concluded by thanking his wife, Gina, who was in the audience, and offering positive thoughts on the future.

“New Trier is in good hands with this board, with the new superintendent, with our administrative team, with our staff,” he said. “New Trier is in very good hands.”

Sally’s tenure

Sally began working at New Trier in 1994 as a math teacher. Reportedly, he had previously worked in software development but decided to change careers and become a teacher, following in the footsteps of his parents, who had been university professors.

During his 15 years as a math teacher, he was also an adviser and took on the role of math department coordinator. In 2009, he was promoted to assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction, a role he held until 2017, when he was named superintendent to succeed the retiring Dr. Linda Yonke.

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