President
Assistant Superintendent Curriculum and Instruction, Thornton Township High School District 205
Brett Fickes is a collaborative and open educational leader who has encouraged others to accomplish their goals at Thornton Township High School District 205 where he has served for 25 years. He places high expectations on himself, his diverse student body, and staff members while being a service-oriented leader with a deep respect for integrity. Brett understands that effective professional learning must be central to any District’s mission.
Brett’s dedication to District 205 has been manifested in numerous roles. He served as an award-winning history teacher for 15 years. During this time, he developed the first Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered in Social Studies, and served as the Lead Teacher for “Student Travel Experiences” – taking students on archaeological digs, mountain climbing expeditions, and international tours. Since taking on the roles of District level Social Studies Administrator, and as the Director of Innovative Curriculum and Instruction in 2008, Brett has made many positive impacts in District 205. In 2015, he facilitated the implementation of the International Baccalaureate Programme (IB) in all three district schools.Most recently he lead the implementation to align his District to Trauma Sensitive Instructional practices in partnership with Illinois Education Association. Additionally, he has been the Director of Professional Development since 2012.
Brett envisions a world in which all educators receive the nurturing, guidance, and resources they need to reach their fullest potential. His mission is to create and sustain equitable, intellectually energetic, personalized schools and to make such schools the norm. He seeks to influence wider public opinion and policy-makers for our city, state and nation to create policy conditions conducive to sustaining meaningful schools.
