Partnership Principal
David Gilligan

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   When most people think of an agricultural high school, Chicago Public Schools isn’t the first school system that comes to mind. But if they could see the 21-year-old Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, where David Gilligan has been principal for five years, their opinion will change quickly.

    The school is located on the 72-acre campus, which includes the only working farm in the city of Chicago. The state of the art facility has a greenhouse, food science lab, animal science wing that has a collection of animals that includes a horse, cows, sheep, pigs and poultry. The school animal science teacher is a veterinarian. Teachers like her bring industry experience and contacts that are invaluable in creating authentic experiences for the agricultural focus. The five agriculture career paths are horticulture, ag finance, ag business, ag mechanics and technology, and animal science. All of this is in addition to the four computer labs, a media center, four science labs, gym, swimming pool that are part of the traditional high school curriculum.

   “One out of six jobs in the United States is related to agriculture, and Chicago is the agribusiness center of Illinois,” Gilligan points out. “When many people think of agriculture, they envision a farmer, but there’s so much more to agriculture. Major enterprises such as Chicago Board of Trade, Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Kraft Foods, Monsanto, Quaker Oats and John Deere are agricultural businesses with a presence in the Chicago Metropolitan area. In fact, many agricultural programs are really science based.”

     Thus, the magnet school, which offers a college prep program, focuses on agriculture in the broadest of perspectives. With courses in mathematics, science, social studies, English, languages, computer science and art, its 600 freshmen through senior students are prepared for college in addition to having their eyes opened to the vast opportunities in agriculture.

   “Most 14-year-olds don’t come here because they are interested in agriculture,” Gilligan points out. “They come here because we have a good school in a beautiful, safe building, and their parents tell them to come here. One of our tasks is to expose them to what agriculture careers look like and what colleges offer courses to allow them to pursue a career in agriculture.”

    Recent evidence demonstrates that the school is serving its students well both in the core subjects and agriculture. Standardized test scores have risen every year for the past five years, and last year 18.7 percent more students met or exceeded state goals than in 2001.

   And last year for the first time Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences won a gold medal in the Chicago Flower and Garden Show, a trade show that attracts contractors and businesses along with educational institutions.

   The high schoolers winning entry was a 1,200 square foot exhibit titled “Reinventing the Wheel.” It featured agricultural artifacts related to the wheel, ranging from a potato planter to a milk wagon and capped by a 20-foot replica of a saw mill run by a water wheel. Approximately 120 of the school’s 600 students were involved in the project with jobs ranging from growing the flowers, building the structures, and handling the public relations.

   Crucial to the school’s success are its outreach programs geared to bring many of Chicago’s resources to the students. A number of local colleges and universities have agreed to allow students to earn college credits for agriculture classes when they met stated standards. This credit is given by successful completion of a proficiency exam. This exam is written and corrected by the university.

    The school’s Advisory Board consists of local business leaders with connections in agriculture. This year for National Groundhog Job Shadow Day over 225 juniors and seniors during one week this year shadow a professional in the ag industry in Chicago. Advisory Board members also serve as guest speakers and provide internships for students. One of Co Chairs include Marc Schulman President of Eli’s Cheesecake developed a product, Wildflower Honey Bar, for Starbucks Coffee using the honey produced by the schools beehives.

   As principal, Gilligan sees himself as a facilitator.

    “I’m here to help the teachers do their job by providing support and facilitating change for improved academic achievement,” he says. “Our school’s success is the result of a team effort, and my primary functions are to collaborate with teachers to plan and improve instruction. School should be a good place for teachers and staff to work and a disciplined and challenging academic environment for students.”

    He also thinks that The Principals’ Partnership is helping him and other school leaders reach their potential.

   “The Partnership has been a great resource for the high school principals of Chicago Public Schools, providing professional development. The annual conference is a great opportunity for us to network with principals from other systems and has just the right balance of structured and free time.”

    More information about Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences can be found at www.chicagoagr.cps.k12.il.us, and Gilligan can be contact at [email protected].

  
Past Focus Principals:

Focus - Joy Walton
Focus- William Roberts
Focus- Franklyn Wesley
Focus- Magdalena Gutierrez
Focus- Kent Bergum
Focus- William "Rick" Johnson
Focus- Ken Ball
Focus- Dan Tenuta
Focus- Charlesetta Deason
Focus- Rene Posey
Focus- Stuart Baker
Focus- Paul Smith
Focus- Christie Gestvang
Focus- John A. Butterfield
Focus- Janie Hill Hatton
Focus- Steve Warmack
Focus- Glen Clark
Focus- William Dunn
Focus - Richard Pemberton
Focus- Dr. Anthony Spivey
Focus - John Weigel