Champaign Unit 4 School District

The Unit 4 Board of Education approved five administrative appointments during its May 8th meeting.

Mr. William Taylor was appointed as the Webmaster and Assistant Director of Communications. Will began his management career in December 2014 as the Service Manager for Simply Mac-Apple Specialist. In July 2018, Mr. Taylor joined Unit 4 Schools as a Computer Technician and IT Project Manager. He will leave this position to become Webmaster and Assistant Director of Communications.

Will is a Unit 4 Schools graduate, earning his Bachelor of Science in Technical Systems Management from University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign.

Mr. Aaron Gee was appointed as the Assistant Director of Technology. He began his career in the technology field in May 2014 when he joined Best Buy. During his seven years with Best Buy, he worked as an Intel Expert, Microsoft Expert, Geek Squad Supervisor, and Geek Squad Manager. He joined Unit 4 Schools in June 2021 as a Computer Technician, transitioning to Help Desk Specialist after a year and will leave this position to become the Assistant Director of
Technology.

Aaron is currently working towards his Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems-Systems Development/Analyst from Illinois State University in Bloomington. He holds an ITIL Foundation Certificate in IT Service Management, and is expecting to complete his CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+ certificates in June 2023.

Ms. E. Carolynn Bartolotta was appointed as the Director of Multilingual & World Language Services. Ms. Bartolotta has worked with Unit 4 Schools as an educator from 1999-2004 and again from 2016 to present. Her roles included serving as Art Teacher and English as a Second Language Teacher at Jefferson Middle School, International Prep Academy, and Centennial High School, MLL Testing Coordinator, and Director of Teaching & Learning and Student Engagement. She was most recently appointed as the Interim Director of Multilingual Services and will now continue to serve in this position on a regular basis.

Carolynn’s teaching experience outside of Unit 4 includes working at Crete-Monee School District 201, Mather High School (Chicago), Schaumburg High School District 211, the College of DuPage, the University of St. Francis, and Minooka Community High School District 111.

She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (1991), and an English as a Second Language endorsement and Korean endorsement from Northeastern Illinois University (1999), a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from Eastern Illinois University (2003), a Master of Science in Teacher Leadership from Olivet Nazarene University (2011), and a Bilingual Endorsement from the University of Phoenix (2018).

Mr. Chaim McGuire was appointed Assistant Principal at Centennial High School. Mr. McGuire began his teaching career in July 2015 as a Visual Arts Teacher with West Central CUSD 235, in Biggsville, IL. Beginning with the 2016-2017 school year, he served as a Visual Arts Teacher with PORTA CUSD 202 in Petersburg, IL. After serving five years in this role, he accepted the position of Middle School Principal with New Berlin CUSD 16 in New Berlin, IL. He held that position for one year. Chaim served as a Substitute Administrator and Teacher for Lanphier High School in Springfield, IL. In February 2022, he joined Unit 4 Schools as an Assistant Principal at Centennial High and will continue to serve in this position during the 2023-2024 school term.

Mr. McGuire earned his Bachelor of Science in Art Education from Western Illinois University. He also holds a Master of Arts in Education Leadership from the University of Illinois, Springfield.

Ms. Cessily Thomas was selected as the Assistant Principal/Summer School Principal at Centennial High School. Ms. Thomas began her career in education in January 2007 when she joined Unit 4 Schools as a Spanish Teacher at Centennial High School. Relocating to Joliet, IL in August 2007, she joined Joliet District 86 as a Spanish Teacher. She later joined Rich South High School (Richton Park, IL). After two years of service with Rich South, Cessily rejoined Unit 4 Schools as a Spanish/AVID Teacher at Centennial High School. In August 2022, she accepted the position of Dean of Students at Centennial High School. Ms. Thomas will leave this position to become Assistant Principal/Summer School Principal at Centennial High School.

Ms. Thomas holds a Bachelor of Arts in Foreign Languages with Spanish Teacher Licensure (2006) and a Master of Science in Educational Leadership (2022), both from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. She is a 16-year education veteran, with 13 years as a Spanish and AVID teacher at Centennial High School.