In an email to staff on Thursday morning, Evanston Township High School Principal and Assistant Superintendent Taya Kinzie announced that she is stepping down at the end of this school year to move into private practice as a social worker.
Kinzie will continue at the school until June 30, she said in the announcement.
“My commitment to ETHS and the Evanston community remains steadfast, and I will continue to uphold our shared values as a proud and engaged Evanston community member and as a social worker in private practice,” she wrote.
In 2004, Kinzie started out as a special education social worker, later moving up the ranks to become a dean and then associate principal for student services. She’s a licensed clinical social worker in both English and Spanish.
She took on the principal role in 2022, replacing Marcus Campbell when he succeeded Eric Witherspoon as superintendent.
Her journey with ETHS began even before she took her first full-time job in the building, as she interned at the school in 1997 before getting her social work certification, according to the school’s student newspaper.
“My love for our ETHS family will never fade and neither will my deep respect and gratitude for the ways we have grown together. I will always cherish our memories together, some forged by fire, laughing, crying, grieving losses of students and staff,” Kinzie said.
“I am grateful for the problem-solving, supporting each other through many crises, navigating a pandemic, focusing on racial equity, advocating for students together, witnessing the tremendous power of our students as they advocated for change and to help each other.”
The school has not yet announced a transition plan for replacing Kinzie.
ETHS principal to step down after this school year is from Evanston RoundTable, Evanston's most trusted source for unbiased, in-depth journalism.