Schools

D210 Principal Mike Gardner Retires after 38 Years at Lincoln-Way

From biology teacher and coach to principal, Mike Gardner served the L-W High School District for nearly four decades.

Lincoln-Way North High School Principal Mike Gardner officially retired June 30. He spent nearly four decades serving students living in the 105-square-mile district.

When Gardner first walked through the doors of Lincoln-Way High School in New Lenox in 1975, 18-year-old seniors were relieved at the news that the Vietnam War was over. The movie "Jaws" had theater audiences screaming about shark attacks. The still popular "Saturday Night Live" show debuted, and Microsoft became a registered trade name.

What became known as Lincoln-Way Central High School in New Lenox was the only building in the district when the 22-year-old teacher began his career. Students then were listening to guitar shifts fingered by the likes of Joe Walsh from the Eagles and learning to dance Disco.

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At the age of 60, Gardner leaves Lincoln-Way North High School, 19900 S. Harlem Ave, with a mountain of fond good memories. Having taught for the first 14 years of his career, he said, "Teaching is a very unique experience, because you're impacting kids daily. You see the rewards later when they come back and tell you what's happened, when they thank you."

READ: D210 Board Says Goodbye to Supt. Lawrence Wyllie

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In the early years, Gardner was also a freshmen football coach for the Knights. Those memories are something he cherishes to this day. "That was a lot of fun. You really get to know those kids on a personal level. Some of the times I laugh the hardest is when those kids come back.

"I golf once a summer with two former football payers. One is doctor now and the other is a successful businessman. I'm proud of having been able to work with kids like that. It's not necessarily all the awards and the recognition you get; it's what they become (in life.) They care for their families" and contribute to society, said Gardner.

In 2001, Gardner opened Lincoln-Way East High School. Previously it had served as a freshmen-sophomore campus. The Griffins needed a strong leader to cement the blue and black identity. That year, the Griffins Girls Softball team took first in state. L-W East now has a lengthy history of firsts under its belt.  

The paperwork that goes along with the job as head building administrator occasionally bogged Gardner down. "I need the personal connection—the teachers and students in the halls.  It's the fact that you're making connections with people." As an administrator, he enjoyed working with teachers, especially the new instructors. Sharing tips, strategizing and assisting with classroom management. These are critical steps for new teachers, he added. Lincoln-Way's discipline policy is based on dousing relatively small problems before they grow into major issue, he said.  

While he's more than proud of the district's academic successes and top test scores in the state, he knows about loss too. "The toughest thing that a school can go through is the loss of a student. …It's  very, very difficult to see them lose their life at such an early stage. We rally around the families and deal with our own sense of loss."    

He opened Lincoln-Way North High School in 2008, helping to brand the Phoenix identity. The husband and father of three grown children, Gardner is looking forward to spending time with his grandchildren, fishing, golfing and yard work.  He and wife Joanne have plans to travel to visit family. 

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