John Ostrowski

For Special Needs Transition Coordinator John Ostrowski, working in the Special Education Dept. was much more than the average teaching job.

“When you work in this department, it becomes an all encompassing job,” says Ostrowski. “There is a piece of you that wants to do all you can for these kids.”

Ostrowski has worked a variety of jobs in his 32 year career at Evanston, but each was dedicated to students in special education.

As the transition coordinator, Ostrowski worked with students at ETHS with disabilities and IEPs and assisted them in making the often challenging transition from high school to the real world.

While Ostrowski may be retiring from teaching, his dedication to young people is unwavering. He is going to work as a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) to represent youth in the Illinois foster or juvenile court systems.