Mitch Dorr to be named interim assistant principal

At the beginning of December, the School District 166 School Board received official notice that Principal Adam Nelson was resigning effective January 1. That meant the school board needed to find someone to work with Assistant Principal Bill DeWitt for the remainder of the 2018 school year.

At a December 4 special meeting, the school board and Superintendent Dr. Bill Crandall asked DeWitt if he could take on the principal role—and if he could perform all of the district’s principal duties temporarily.

DeWitt said he could do what the school needed of him. However, he added that he felt the district does need two administrators on campus. The school board agreed and began the search for another principal.

WTIP has learned that Mitch Dorr will be the new interim assistant principal. Dorr has been a social studies teacher at ISD 166 since 1998. While working in the school district, he has obtained his Master’s degree in education administration and principal’s licensure.

Reached by email, Dorr confirmed that he is willing to accept the job, however, it will not be official until the school board makes a motion to hire him as assistant principal at the January 16, 2018 school board meeting.

Dorr, a 1993 graduate of Cook County High School, has been president of the Cook County Education Association since 2012. After the resignation of former Principal Gwen Carman in 2015, Dorr served as a member of the ISD 166 administrative team. And in 2016, he served temporarily as industrial arts teacher when the shop teacher resigned mid-year.

Dorr has served a number of other duties at the school besides social studies teacher. He has been the football and basketball coach. And, in November 2017, a committee of staff and school board members recommend hiring Dorr as activities director to replace Pam Taylor.