Itasca's Franzen school names new principal

From a pool of about 100 candidates, Jeffrey J. Murphy was chosen to be the new principal of Franzen Intermediate School in Itasca.

Murphy is currently the assistant principal at Tripp Elementary School in Buffalo Grove, a post he has held for two years. Before that, he served as an elementary schoolteacher for eight years and took on leadership roles, such as student council adviser.

"We are so excited to have our top pick," said Itasca Elementary District 10 Superintendent Marcia Tornatore. "Jeff really stood out as an outstanding candidate due to his leadership experiences and organizational skills."

Murphy will replace Joanna Medwick, who will retire this spring after 15 years as Franzen's principal, 14 years as its director of buildings and grounds, and more than 35 years in education. She said her time at Franzen has been a "wonderful experience" and stepping down is proving bittersweet.

"This has been a great portion of my life and the best of all worlds," Medwick said. "I couldn't have come to or be leaving a better place."

Before choosing Murphy to replace Medwick, the school board and administration set up a series of meetings and interviews with parents, teachers and other school staff. Tornatore said this gave everyone a chance to learn about Murphy's credentials and how he would interact with people in the district day-to-day.

"In his role, it was obvious that he was extremely knowledgeable of all the education initiatives required by the Illinois State Board of Education, so he will naturally bring a wealth of knowledge and leadership skills," Tornatore said. "But he will also bring a warmth."

A personable nature will serve Murphy well, officials said, as he steps into some school-spirit programs - like talent shows, Character Counts! events and Halloween parades - created under Medwick's leadership.

In the early 1990s, Medwick also led District 10 in dividing its schools into graded centers. creating Benson Primary School for prekindergarten through second grade, Franzen for grades three to five, and F.E. Peacock Middle School for grades six to eight. At the primary level, the district formerly offered two buildings for students in kindergarten through fifth grade.