Season 2, Episode 11: A Leader's Legacy, with Dr. Nick Polyak

On today’s episode, Misty and I are joined by Dr. Nick Polyak, proud superintendent of Leyden High School District in Illinois, author, and  leader of #SuptChat on Twitter.  

Nick shares with us his hopes for his community, what he wants his legacy to be, and advice he has for aspiring school leaders. Hint, you don’t have to have all the answers today. 

We hope you enjoy this conversation as much as we did. 

About Nick
Dr. Nick Polyak serves as the Superintendent for Leyden Community High School District #212.  The district contains two comprehensive high schools with 3,500 students from Franklin Park, Melrose Park, Northlake, River Grove, Rosemont, Schiller Park, and Unincorporated Leyden Township.  Nick is married with 4 children and they reside in suburban Chicago.

Nick earned a Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) degree in Educational Leadership and Supervision from Loyola University Chicago where he received the Phi Delta Kappa Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation Award.  He holds a Master of Arts Degree and Chief School Business Officer (CSBO) license from Governors State University.  Dr. Polyak’s undergraduate work was at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Mathematics and Secondary Education.

Nick is proud to lead an award winning school district. Over the past seven years at Leyden, the district has received many honors.  They were named the 2014 National Advanced Placement District of the Year by the College Board.  In addition, the district has welcomed thousands of visitors to learn about teaching and learning in a 1:1 environment.  Leyden has been recognized with two Magna Awards from the National School Board Association (NSBA) and a Digital Content and Curriculum Award.  Both Leyden High Schools have been named Illinois Democracy Schools.  Leyden has also been named to the listing of the Top 100 Workplaces by the Chicago Tribune four different times.

Dr. Polyak believes strongly in community involvement.  He is the Past-President of two different Chambers of Commerce; served four years as a School Board Member in Manhattan School District 114; coached youth sports, and has been involved in a variety of other community groups and charitable efforts.  Nick completed the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA) School for Advanced Leadership in 2014 and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) National Superintendent Certification Program in 2016.

Nick is a co-moderator of #suptchat, the international Twitter Chat for Superintendents.  He has co-authored three books: The Unlearning Leader: Leading for Tomorrow’s Schools Today,  Student Voice: From Invisible to Invaluable, and The Unfinished Leader: A Leadership Framework for Growth and Development.  Nick facilitates the AASA Transformational Leadership Consortium, the IASA Aspiring Superintendents Academy, and the AASA Blended Aspiring Superintendents Academy.  He can be followed at @npolyak.
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