Dr. Emily Tammaru Named as Next Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Emily Tammaru Named as Next Superintendent of Schools

Dr. Emily Tammaru was the unanimous choice of the Board of Education of Northbrook/Glenview School District 30 to serve as its next superintendent, beginning on July 1, 2023. She was named at a Board of Education meeting Thursday, December 15. 

Dr. Tammaru brings to District 30 a collaborative, student-first approach to leading a district with consistently high academic achievement. Her 27 years in education include 18 years of administration. 

The District 30 Board of Education partnered last spring with BWP & Associates executive search firm to identify candidates for the role. Stakeholders including students, staff and community members also provided feedback to help BWP create a Leadership Profile. 

The search drew a total of 27 applicants, which was narrowed to six who advanced to the interview process with the Board of Education this fall. Interviews with three final candidates were then conducted in late November and early December. 

“Dr. Tammaru impressed the Board with her exceptional interpersonal skills, ability to build strong working relationships, outstanding leadership skills, and focus on identifying opportunities for innovation,” District 30 Board of Education President Nancy Artz said.

Since 2016, Dr. Tammaru has served as the Superintendent of Community Consolidated School District 89 (CCSD 89), a district that serves nearly 2,300 students in Pre-K to 8th grade from Glen Ellyn, Lombard, and Wheaton, Illinois. The district includes four elementary schools and one middle school. 

“I am incredibly honored and excited to serve the Northbrook and Glenview communities,” Dr. Tammaru said. “It is evident that District 30 has a long tradition of excellence focused on the whole child. I look forward to partnering with the students, staff, the Board of Education and community to build upon the strong academic and social-emotional foundation the district has established.”

During her time leading CCSD 89, the district has brought the community together to revise the strategic plan that guides the district's work; created a Student Board Member program to increase student voice; and added an after-school tutoring program for at-risk students. 

“My professional focus has been on empowering every single student to be engaged in their learning and prepared for new challenges so they can reach their full potential,” Dr. Tammaru said. 

In response to significant increases in enrollment, Dr. Tammaru led the work to update elementary school boundaries. In 2018, the community approved a tax-rate referendum to maintain programs during the enrollment surge. In 2022, the community approved a school-bond referendum that ensured the district could protect the community's investment in critical infrastructure while also lowering residents' tax rate.

Prior to her time as CCSD 89 superintendent, Tammaru joined the district as principal of Briar Glen Elementary School in 2007. Three years later, she was named the district’s Assistant Superintendent for Learning. In that role, she led the district’s curriculum and instruction improvements, planned responsible budgets that supported learning, worked on the district’s strategic plan, and evaluated staff at all levels. She had a key role in the School Time Committee, which introduced full-day kindergarten to CCSD 89 and added 30 minutes to the elementary school day. She helped expand learning opportunities in gifted education, English-language-learner programs, as well as math and science curriculum.

Dr. Tammaru graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in special education. She started her career teaching students with emotional disorders in West Aurora School District 129. After nine years in the classroom, she was promoted to assistant principal in Aurora. 

Tammaru has a master’s degree in educational leadership from Aurora University and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Aurora University. She and her husband, Virko, have two sons, Alexander and William.