Nicole Bottigliero, who has served as assistant principal at Washington Junior High and Academy for the past two years, was recently named the new principal of Eisenhower Academy.
“I am grateful for my experiences thus far in working for Joliet District 86,” Bottigliero told Will County Gazette. “The support and collaboration within the district and my colleagues has allowed me to grow greatly as a professional. One of my goals working for the district is to ensure I am using data to provide instruction, support and enrichment to all students. A second goal is to continue working on my journey and the district’s journey in facilitating and implementing an equity framework that supports cultural proficiency to ensure all students are successful.”
Bottigliero previously worked in the Chicago Public School system for nine years. She has taught second, third, fourth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades and has served as a literary coach. She joined Joliet District 86 in July 2017.
Eisenhower Academy Principal Nicole Bottigliero
“One accomplishment I am proud of is that within my time at Washington Junior High and Academy, I successfully grew the academy program through recruitment of over 100 additional students from across the Joliet community,” Bottigliero said. “My favorite thing about my job are the kids. Building relationships and watching the students grow as learners is a great feeling. Seeing their smiles when they come to school or getting a high-five in the hallway energizes me to keep doing what I do.”
Bottigliero was born and raised on the South Side of Chicago and is still a Chicago resident. She holds a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Illinois State University and a master’s degree in educational leadership from American College of Education.
“My passion for education started at a young age,” she said. “As a little girl I remember playing school with my cousins and I would always be the teacher. I had some inspirational teachers in many aspects of my educational career that motivated and inspired me, and my spark for education grew greater.”
In her spare time, Bottigliero enjoys spending time with her 4-year-old son and family, dining out at new restaurants, shopping with friends and traveling. She also partakes in community events hosted by Joliet District 86 throughout the year.
“Some of the events are parent-training on topics to assist their students, other events are purely to join the community together for food and fun,” Bottigliero said. “It takes a village to raise a child and community is one of the most important factors in the support of our students' learning and achieving. I hope to continue to build community partnerships, parental collaboration and student voice to all work together toward our one common goal: the success of Joliet students.”
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