Leo High School, an all-boys Catholic school in Auburn Gresham that draws students from 23 ZIP codes in the South and West sides and the south suburbs, has hired a new principal, the school’s president announced Thursday.
Shaka Rawls, a 1993 graduate of Leo who most recently led curriculum planning on instructional leadership teams within the Chicago Public Schools system, will be unveiled as the 90-year-old institution’s new principal at a welcome reception at the school on Sunday afternoon.
“I can’t think of a better man for the job,” Leo President Dan McGrath said in a statement. “We are particularly proud to have a Leo man become the chief educator of our young men.”
Rawls, who is in the final stages of completing his Ph.D in educational policy studies at the University of Illinois-Chicago, will replace outgoing Principal Phil Mesina, who has taken a position elsewhere after seven years at Leo, according to a school statement.
Rawls, who has more than 14 years of classroom experience at both the high school and college level, said he was committed to strengthening Leo’s academics and improving the student experience to make it more competitive with other public, Catholic and charter schools in the area.
“Leo has been a big part of my life since I was 14 years old, and I’m looking forward to this opportunity to serve the school that has meant so much to me and help it grow,” he said in a statement. “I believe education is the key to success in life, and I’m committed to providing a quality Catholic education to every young man who comes to Leo.”
Rawls will lay out his vision for the high school, which has beaten back rumors of its demise in recent years amid declining enrollment, at Sunday’s reception, which will run from 1-3 p.m.
Twitter: @ZakKoeske
