Education is an integral part of any community. District 200’s superintendent Dr. Jeff Schuler oversees that aspect of Wheaton and Warrenville on a daily basis. Dr. Schuler started his professional career as an elementary middle school teacher after graduating from Indiana University. He then went on to become a middle school administrator and principal.

Afterward, he worked in the Kaneland school district administration and was superintendent for four years before relocating to District 200, where he has been since September 2014.

Dr. Schuler did not initially intend to become a superintendent or even a principal when he started out his career; his goal had always been to be the best teacher possible for his students every day of the year. His journey to becoming the superintendent of District 200 schools started because of his mentors and their impact on him throughout his various careers. When Dr. Schuler spoke of the shift from his career of teaching to being a superintendent, he said that he loves his job now, but still has fond memories of his time in the classroom. His position gives him the opportunity to see what is happening in the lives of students and educators.

Delegating responsibilities is a fundamental part of leadership. Considering that District 200 encompasses 20 schools, 1,172 certified staff members, 11,709 students, and the entire Wheaton Warrenville community, Dr. Schuler has to entrust various undertakings to his team. “It is a lot about development and empowerment of others, creating conditions that allow others to really do work in the organization,” said Dr. Schuler.

The daily schedule for a superintendent tends to be unpredictable. “I don’t think there is such a thing as an average day,” said Dr. Schuler. Though there is a rough schedule and plan in place for his work, he responded that the outlook of his day shifts based upon priorities and opportunities as well as unexpected shifts in the day. Whereas his mission for the future stays the same: to allow continuous growth and improvements in the school district through the work today. “It doesn’t matter what position you’re in in a school district, you have to think from the perspective of being a teacher,” said Dr. Schuler.

There are four broad categories that exemplify Dr. Schuler’s goals for the rest of the school year. Learning acceleration, focus on student connectedness, college career pathways, and facility work. All of these objectives ultimately seek to help students develop and grow while preparing them for life beyond high school. The work done at the district level greatly impacts the lives of the students in District 200 and the community as a whole. “I don’t think there’s anything more important in the community than the educational system,” said Dr. Schuler. “Education is the one profession that creates all other professions.”