Such a HUGE loss for Oswego! Wheaton is gaining a wonderful principal!

We will truly miss Bryan Buck at Plank. He is a wonderful boss.

Just wondering why, all of a sudden, so many administrators are leaving our district.

bill powell

A REALLY big loss for our district! You will be truly missed by all who know you Mr Buck!

Byran was one of the best principals I ever had the pleasure to work with in my 35 years of education!! District 308 lost a great one again. What is going on?? The community had better start asking questions!!

Anyone that thinks Buck doesn't love this community is way, way off base.

What a HUGE loss for our district!!!! Bryan was the principal at Fox Chase when our oldest was attending Fox Chase. What a great man with a lot of integrity and heart for the children in his building. We are losing a lot of fantastic educators in this community and it sure makes you stop and question why. It is really sad and concerning!!!

This is one guy that will be replaced, but can never be replaced. Sometimes special people come along and leave their mark...he is one of the best administrators in the state. The board can continue to say that people leave jobs......what a shame.

I am talking about Bryan Buck...sorry

Both of my children were fortunate to have attended a grade school where Mr. Buck was principal. He is a wonderful leader and mentor to the kids and definitely demonstrated care and concern for the students of this district. It's very sad, as a parent and a taxpayer, to see our district continue to lose wonderful leaders.

It seems there's a parade of exceptional principals leaving the district, sad for the kids. Kevin, Tracy, Jeff and now Bryan. (Is that all? I'd hate to neglect any of my former colleagues!) As much as the educational impact is a point Donna mentioned - every one of those leaving ran a school you enjoyed visiting because you could see and feel the impact they had on the people working for and with them, which rubbed off on the students.

Good luck Bryan!

Buck leaving......shame, shame shame!!! Not only do we have foreclosure houses bringing down our property value we can include our school district on declining values as well!!!!

Did Mr. Buck apply for one of the top administrative positions? If he did and they wouldn't give him the time of day then the BOE should be ashamed of themselves. Wheaton is such a beautiful town and one that has it's priorities in check so it seems to be a much better fit for such an outstanding professional.
It's beyond belief to think that we can in source and then pay $50,000.00 over for what seems to be the same old, same old. Can't wait to see what the going rate will be for all the other replacements. How many teachers could we have put into those new additions we'll eventually have to fill, or maybe we won't because we have no more funds left. This district has really hit rock bottom!

This is truly a shame...I have had the pleasure of working with Bryan Buck for four years...I can honestly say that he is the most professional, honest, down-to-earth, kid-centered principal I EVER had the pleasure in working for...it is with great sadness that I read this story today but knowing Bryan he leaves with a heavy heart and the children and staff of Wheaton are much better off with our loss...good luck Bryan

The best principal I have had the privilege of working for in fifteen years as a classroom teacher. Visionary, collaborative, and truly a dynamic leader--a few words that come to mind in describing Bryan. I'm thankful for his guidance, leadership and friendship. Wheaton is quite fortunate to have you leading in their district, but you will always be a proud pirate to me!

I think people have a right to inquire as to what is happening if they are concerned, but I would not think that the BOE will be commenting publicly on personnel matters such as who is granted an interview or why not. It wouldn't seem like there is much that they can/will say.

Good luck to them both, it sounds like they did a good job here!

How many of these departed administrators were recruited by Ray and Associates? It just looks to me like a fox is raiding the henhouse and the farmer is giving away the keys...

I don't blame these administrators for fleeing from this know-nothing, arrogant school board.

I think it speaks volumes that these principals are leaving our district to make lateral moves, with the exception of Mr Lipke who accepted a superintendent position. I hope the voters in 308 wake up and show up to vote when these newly elected board members terms are up...we can afford to pay for their IGNORANCE any longer! I voted and DID NOT vote for any of them and they have done nothing to get my vote next time around!

*can't afford

Wow, so much speculation and so very few facts posted here.
Can't we just thank them both for their services and wish them well?

For the record, Mr. Buck holds his superintendent's endorsement and was not even offered an interview for any of the positions available in-district.

Ok...since I am a HUGH critic of glorious District 308 and have been for 12 years I am finally so staggered I can hardly write. I knew Mr. Buck from his early days at Boulder Hill and served with him on the last SDFAC committee and I found him to be level headed, GENUINELY interested not only in the students but in the family as well. Again though we don't know his reasons for departure. We can only guess. I would say that if he applied for any of the openings and was not interviewed then the Board should have their heads examined and if there was a way to remove ALL of them from office and start with a entire new board, then a way should be found to do just that. If he didn't apply, that's a different story and my comment still applies. Now back to my normal self, I don't see any sadness over the loss of Mr. Kennedy and from my personal experience with him, I don't see any great loss, Plainfield to Somonauk to Oswego to Orland in a relatively short period of time....makes you wonder.
Here's a thought....maybe the Board doesn't want to hire any in house people, maybe they think they "know too much" or perhaps folks like Mr. Buck don't want to apply for that same reason! It is an unusual amount of turnover...makes you wonder what the REAL story is.

Everybody keeps saying "he wasn't offered an interview", but nobody is saying that any of them *applied* for the job.

I think if one were to research the facts, some of the above mentioned 308 administrators did apply, and if I'm not mistaken then there were in the middle of the search criteria for the position changed, excluding competent, willing, amazingly talented 308 candidates.

Ok how's this theory....we lost a couple when O'Donnell resigned. We lost more after the announcement for the new guy. So if they applied, they resigned when they found they didn't get the job OR they know something about the incoming superintendent we don't know.

I work for D. 308, I pay taxes in D.308, and my children attend D. 308 schools. I'm as invested as you get. Here are some facts. Bryan's mentor was Todd. Bryan is qualified for that job, and that was his goal for a long time. He applied through the appropriate channels. No one responded--there is the arrogance some have said our current board is known for. He applied for a few other things. He received an offer. With no response for a higher position, after 13 years in the district, there is no choice for career advancement but out of the district. That's an enormous loss. Another administrator was at a training class recently and was asked by someone from another district, "Why are you still in D. 308? Where are you interviewing?" These people are not being recruited or wooed away. They are voluntarily leaving on their own. If they stay, people in similar positions ask them why. Other districts recognize their value and snatch them up. They are not all making lateral moves. Read today's posts. Angie got a promotion in the district next door. This school board is the issue--specifically the new members. Pay attention. 23% of eligible voters voted last time. This is what happens when you vote for "one issue" candidates ("We will strike the third high school."). They have a one-track agenda, and it is driving leadership out of town. What's next? Contract negotiations are underway for teachers and custodians.

Maybe having Colvin as a mentor was the problem....ok seriously though....there you go. You have in a round about way have admitted that for administrators at least it's about moving up the chain, you get more money when you move up the chain, so whether or not it's this districts or that districts it is about money. Otherwise if it was solely about the kids.........As for the BOE, building a HS on a well and septic system like the one before them planned is not the best idea, no BOE is without their bad points. Everyone wants more money, the question is where to get it from. Sure they could pay all the new administrators the same as the old ones. You can get everyone to kick in something for their heath insurance, but eventually it comes down to dollars and cents. If the teacher pension funds get kicked back to the local districts, combined with the cut already made in funding and the continuing financial condition or lack thereof in Illinois....we'll see how many are in the "for the kids" when push comes to shove.