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Nick Polyak
Biography
Dr. Nick Polyak has served as the Superintendent for Leyden Community High School District #212 for the past twelve years. Prior to that, he served as the Superintendent for Illinois Valley Central School District #321 for four years. Nick and his wife Kate have four children and they reside in suburban Chicago. Over the past several years, Leyden, has received many honors. They were named the National Advanced Placement District of the Year, Illinois Democracy Schools, Chicago Tribune Top Workplaces, and the National School Board Association Grand Prize Magna Award as a top equity program.
Nick facilitates the Illinois Global Service Project and annually takes a group of Superintendents and School Board Members from across Illinois to serve schools and students in the Dominican Republic. He has co-authored four books: The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today, Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable, The Unfinished Leader: A Leadership Framework for Growth and Development, and The Unfinished Teacher: Becoming the Next Version of Yourself. Nick facilitates the AASA Transformational Leadership Consortium, and both the IASA and AASA Aspiring Superintendents Academies. He was awarded the Finest Under 40 Alumni Award by Augustana College in 2015, The West Cook County Superintendent of Distinction in 2016, and the Administration and Supervision Distinguished Alumni Award from the Loyola University of Chicago School of Education in 2023.