PHOTO: LINDA M. BARRETT
BARRINGTON 220 BY SAMANTHA SCHEINMAN
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Craig Winkelman
Introducing Superintendent of Schools Dr. Craig Winkelman
T
HERE’S A POPULAR QUOTE that Dr. Craig Winkelman shares with his two teenage daughters. “I tell them, ‘Hard
ethic and recognized how important hard work is,
work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard’,”
There is perhaps no better example of this than
he said.
along with a good education, in opening up opportunities,” Dr. Winkelman said. Dr. Winkelman’s own journey in Barrington 220.
His work ethic was instilled in him at a young
He is the district’s first Superintendent of Schools
age by his parents, who taught him the impor-
who also started out as a teacher in the district.
tance of hard work, paired with a strong educa-
In 1997, he began working at Barrington High
tional foundation. His father, a Vietnam War
School, teaching science to special education stu-
veteran, would sometimes work multiple jobs to
dents with behavioral and emotional disorders.
support his family. His mother held a variety of
It didn’t take long for supervisors to notice his
jobs throughout her professional career, including
work ethic and commitment to the students. “My
working as an elementary teacher and regional
classroom was located on the opposite side of the
sales manager in downtown Chicago. She also did
building from the science wing, so every morn-
accounting and bookkeeping for small businesses.
ing I would get to the high school early and move
“Both of my parents have an incredible work
all of the lab supplies across the building to my
classroom,” Dr. Winkelman said. “It was important to me that the students I was teaching had a true lab experience.” After seeing Dr. Winkelman do this each morning for some time, the Science Department Chair ended up moving his classroom to the science wing so he would no longer have to shuffle the materials back and forth. FROM TEACHER TO ADMINISTRATOR A few years after he started at BHS, Dr. Winkelman’s colleagues recognized his potential as a leader and encouraged him to seek an administrator position in the district. In 2001, he became the Assistant Principal at Station Campus. “I wanted to help more students and I saw that in a leadership role, I could have a greater impact on the experience of all students, rather than just the