On Wednesday, June 3, the Board of Education of Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 named Dr. David A. Moyer as its new superintendent, beginning July 1, 2015.
Dr. Moyer is completing his third year as the superintendent of Moline-Coal Valley District 40. He previously served as the superintendent in Burlington, WI and assistant superintendent in Community High School District 117, Lake Villa, IL. Known as an innovative, visionary change leader, Moyer was recognized at the Governor’s Executive Mansion as one of 21 regional Superintendents of Distinction in the State of Illinois on April 21, 2015.
While superintendent in Moline, Dr. Moyer has led the development of the District’s Operational Plan entitled Raising the Bar and Closing the Achievement Gap for All Students. Implementation of this plan has resulted in the District balancing its budget and closing a $3.8M shortfall in its education fund and several other notable improvements. It will complete construction on a state-of-the art 600-student elementary school in August 2015, with no impact on the tax rate, and will open the region’s only Dual Language Immersion program.
Under Dr. Moyer’s leadership, the number of Advanced Placement offerings at the high school has more than doubled; the District will implement 1:1 computing in grades 5-12, beginning Fall 2015; and has created an inclusive classroom environment for all students through co-teaching. In addition, a Physics First science curriculum will be launched at the high school, beginning Fall 2016. This curriculum represents a partnership with Purdue University to expand and improve programming for gifted students. Dr. Moyer also developed an articulated engineering partnership with Western Illinois University on behalf of District 40.
Moline-Coal Valley, which is similar in size to Elmhurst 205, will be nationally recognized in July for its work in Administrator Capacity Building. Dr. Moyer will present on the topic “Building Leadership Capacity to Improve Student Achievement” at the State’s annual joint conference of school boards, business officials and superintendents in November.
Moyer earned a Doctorate in Educational Administration from Northern Illinois University (NIU) in 2004. He holds Master’s degrees in Educational Administration from NIU and Sports Administration from Eastern Kentucky University. An English major, he completed a BS-Secondary Education degree from the University of Wisconsin. Once a middle school English teacher, Moyer’s previous leadership roles include assistant superintendent, principal, assistant principal and athletic director.
Moyer, a member of the District Management Council, is active professionally, having presented at many state and national conferences. He is the Illinois Association of School Administrators’ Blackhawk Division representative to the Illinois State Board of Education and previously served on the organization’s Student Growth Sub-Committee.
In Wisconsin, he served on the Department of Public Instruction’s Work Team to develop a new statewide principal evaluation system. He authored an article which appeared in the July 2014 edition of the American Association of School Administrators New Superintendent’s E-Journal entitled “The District Office’s Role in Supporting Student Achievement.” He also recently authored a book, published earlier this spring by Lambert Academic Publishing, entitled Superintendent and Teacher Perceptions of Performance-Based Pay.
Since 2004, Moyer has served as an instructor for Aurora University and Western Illinois University. Community service includes his current position on the Board of Directors for the Boys and Girls Club of the Mississippi Valley and Renew Moline, as well as involvement in the Moline Rotary Club. A former college baseball coach, Moyer will be inducted into the Sheboygan A’s Baseball Hall of Fame on June 13, 2015.
Of his new appointment, Dr. Moyer said, “Elmhurst is a district that aims to be the best. This would be an exciting challenge for any superintendent – to uphold the already high standards and to try to improve upon them even more. On top of that, it is a community that cares deeply about the quality of its public schools. It is an honor to have a chance to serve in a community that values educational excellence and the importance of public education in this manner. I am grateful that the Board feels that I am the right person for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
On behalf of the Board of Education, President Jim Collins stated: “Our executive search firm, BWP and Associates, recruited 31 candidates to apply for the position. They narrowed the field to six excellent candidates that the Board of Education interviewed. Representatives from the administration, staff and community weighed in on the finalists. We are excited about choosing Dr. Moyer as the best fit for our community. We believe he is the right person to continue to improve student achievement, to carry on the tradition of excellence in Elmhurst 205, and to take the District to the next level. Welcome, Dr. Moyer.”
Dr. Moyer will be introduced to the Elmhurst District 205 community at its July Board of Education meeting. Watch the D205 website – www.elmhurst205.org – for further details.