Evergreen Academy Principal Marks 50 Years in Education

Marian Strok, principal of Evergreen Academy Middle School in Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood, has marked 50 years working in education. Thirty-one of those years have been in Chicago Public Schools, the school said in an announcement congratulating her.

Strok has led the school since 2007. Evergreen serves seventh- and eighth-grade students at 3537 S. Paulina St. and is a STEAM Demonstration School whose practices guide work across CPS, according to the announcement.

Her career milestone also reflects a long-standing focus on supporting adolescents’ social and emotional development, which the school described as a central part of her leadership.

A career in Chicago schools

Strok is a lifelong resident of Chicago’s South Side. Her 31 years in the district have included more than a decade and a half leading Evergreen, where the school says she has maintained a commitment to students’ social-emotional growth.

Evergreen has held National Forum School to Watch status since 2010. The designation and its role as a STEAM Demonstration School place the middle school within district and national education initiatives, though the announcement did not detail specific practices or programs tied to Strok’s 50-year milestone.

Mentoring future school leaders

Strok continues to share her experience beyond Evergreen by mentoring emerging administrators through The Chicago Public Education Fund’s LSC Mentorship Program, the school said. The announcement did not specify how many leaders she has mentored or describe the program’s current activities.

Her advice on the work of leading a school is direct: “They don't care what you know until they know that you care,” Strok said. The school’s recognition connects that emphasis on relationships with her decades in education and her continuing work with students and aspiring administrators.

This report draws on information from mckinleypark.news.