Aliaa Ibrahim, the principal at Rutledge Hall School in Lincolnwood School District 74, has been nominated as a finalist for a Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Leadership.
The award recognizes principals or heads of school at the pre-kindergarten through 12th grade levels who have made a sustained impact on the school community and students.
Out of 100 leaders considered across Illinois, seven, including Ibrahim, were chosen as nominees for the award, according to a press release from the Golden Apple Foundation.
Ibrahim, who has spent four years as a principal at Rutledge Hall School, which educates students in grades 3-5, told Pioneer Press that while she feels deeply honored to be nominated, the recognition speaks to the hard work of the entire school community.
She said this comes from her belief in the Southern African philosophy of Ubuntu, which is rooted in the idea “I am because we are.”
“To me, this is a recognition of everything that our team is accomplishing that is paying huge dividends for our kids,” she expressed.
One of Ibrahim’s top priorities as the school’s principal has been to recognize teacher burnout and to ensure her staff is taking care of themselves outside of being professionals.
“Teachers are dedicated people – they want to have a finger on every aspect of their teaching,” she said. “And often the biggest piece they often forego is looking after their own personal needs and finding work-life balance.”
To address this, Ibrahim explained the school district currently has six full-time equivalent staff members to step in as regular substitutes or certified teachers. With the additional help, teachers are able to step away to take care of themselves and their families when needed, while knowing their classroom is in good hands, she said.
“This administrative team really holds dear the humanity of the staff we serve to ensure that teachers can be the best humans for themselves and their families so they can return that to the families the school serves,” Ibrahim said.
In addition to recognizing teacher burnout, Ibrahim also prioritizes bringing the entire school community together for several immersive events each year. One of those events includes an art immersion project centered around different themes, where students help to transform different sections of the school’s building into an art display.
The event invites families throughout the school district, along with students’ siblings, to take part in exploring the different artwork presented each year. Ibrahim said some of the other notable community events the school coordinates are a STEM night along with a literacy night, where police officers from the area will come out to read to Rutledge Hall students.
“It brings the community together. The families come in. They get to immerse themselves. They get to celebrate their children’s work, but also the work of others,” she said.
District 74 Superintendent David Russo said the work Ibrahim does bringing the school community together shows her overall leadership and commitment to creating meaningful experiences for students, parents and staff members.
“Our mission statement talks about creating moments for students one moment at a time and Aliaa’s leadership is the embodiment of our mission statement,” he said. “Her emphasis on creating programming that highlights students’ academic accomplishments, as well as what they can accomplish in visual and performance arts is really exemplary.”
