LM Nov-Dec 2025

ent of theYear

By Jason Nevel IASA Director of Communications

The Illinois Association of School Administrators has named Dr. Nick Polyak, Superintendent of Leyden CHSD #212, as the 2026 Illinois Superintendent of the Year. An independent panel judged nominees on the following criteria: academic achievement, preparing students for the future, social-emotional support, teaching and instruction and leadership. The following is a condensed and

edited version of an interview recorded on the IASA Podcast. Click Here to listen to the full interview.

amazing school district. We have 3,500 high school students situated just outside O’Hare International Airport. It’s a wonderfully diverse community, very hardworking, blue-collar community. IASA: On November 23rd, you were named 2026 Illinois Superintendent of the Year. Can you tell us how it’s been since then? NP: Well, first of all, thank you. It’s an absolute honor. The 15 minutes of fame is real—it felt more like 48 hours. In today’s world, you get messages in every possible modality: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, text messages, emails, calls, direct messages, people stopping by to visit. One of my favorites is that a professor I had for my master’s program in 2001 actually called me in my office to catch up and say congratulations. People come out of the woodwork on these things.

IASA: Would you start out by telling us a little bit about yourself and your school district? NP: I started my career as a high school math teacher at Lincoln Way High School District. I worked there for 10 years as a teacher, coached soccer and tennis, and served as a dean, assistant principal, and then director of instruction. After those 10 years, I went to Illinois Valley Central School District in Chillicothe to serve as superintendent for four years. Now I’ve been here at Leyden as superintendent for the last 13 years. Leyden is an

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5 LM Nov–Dec 2025