Amber Quirk
for Regional Superintendent of Schools
DuPage County

“I have lived and worked in DuPage County for over 20 years. We love this area so much, my husband and I hope our daughters will want to return to this area after they’ve grown.”

Regional Superintendent of Schools DuPage County

A trusted and experienced leader dedicated to our students.

As the current Assistant Regional Superintendent, I am honored to serve the students, parents, and school communities of DuPage County. I will continue to assist all school districts provide a safe learning environment for students by monitoring the physical safety of school buildings and by confirming the educators in our classrooms are qualified. I will help coordinate the multitude of resources in DuPage County for our schools. To ensure the office is a steward of tax dollars, I will continue to look for efficiencies and more effective systems for our services. I want our children to have the outstanding education they deserve in DuPage County.”

Primary Election

Be sure to vote in the upcoming Primary Election on June 28th, 2022.

Vision

Safe Schools ✩ Quality Teachers ✩ Outstanding Education for Our Children

Meet Amber

Amber Quirk is a wife, mother, and educator. As the current Assistant Regional Superintendent for the DuPage County Regional Office of Education, she is already familiar with supporting the children, parents, and schools. Amber is running for Regional Superintendent to keep the high levels of safety and quality education provided in DuPage County Schools.

School Safety

“We want qualified and caring adults teaching the students of DuPage County. We do this by conducting background checks on teaching applicants and substitutes, as well as confirming the educators in the classroom have the appropriate licensure.”

With the impact of COVID, student behavior toward each other and adults has become more negative. Violence in schools is top of mind for school administrators. Since the Columbine school shooting in 1999, “according to The Washington Post, there have been 237 school shootings in the U.S., resulting in 403 killed or injured. But we don’t know the exact numbers.” Now more than ever it is important to revisit the model emergency management plans developed through the Safety Task Force to ensure continuity across municipalities. In addition, with the Oak Brook Mall shooting in December 2021 as a guide, we will focus on creating more robust reunification plans.

The Regional Office of Education will do everything in our power to prevent an incident in our county. We offer professional learning opportunities for school personnel focused on supportive measures to keep students connected. We encourage the use of school-wide strategies, such as lessons focused on self awareness and conflict management, restorative discipline practices, positive behavior intervention systems, and identifying trusted adults.

Truancy

The COVID19 Pandemic isolated students from school, leading to higher numbers of students who are chronically truant (a school-age child who is absent without valid causes for 5% out of 180 consecutive days). In addition to our Truancy Department hosting school support meetings, home visits, and hearings, we have offered ongoing training to school personnel in order to increase student attendance.

When students remain in school and eventually obtain their diploma, they are more likely to become productive citizens of the County. We are partnering with schools to host parent nights to educate families about school anxiety and refusal behaviors. We also connect students with the resources they need to successfully return to school. We will provide the most effective and efficient services for truant students.

Multi-Tiered Systems of Support

One thing the pandemic taught schools is one size does not fit all. Schools saw changes in their academic scores, student behavior, and attendance. Many schools were implementing a systems approach to the areas of academics, behavior, and attendance prior to the COVID pandemic. Now our office is assisting schools with returning to their systems of support with a new perspective following a global pandemic.

Licensure

The Regional Office of Education monitors whether educators in the classroom have the appropriate qualifications to be teaching the children in DuPage County. The office also offers the service of conducting fingerprinting for background checks to ensure the people working with our children are also safe. This department also conducts training for substitute teachers and assists people with registering for programs and testing (GED) to obtain their High School Equivalency Diploma.

Professional Development

Educators and school staff must continue learning throughout their careers. We provide professional learning opportunities based on the school district needs. The learning may be virtual or in person workshops, webinars, networking meetings, or a coaching relationship to support school improvement. The more prepared both teachers and support staff are, the more confident we can be that our children will receive an outstanding education.

Upcoming Events

Come out and meet Amber. Be sure to vote!

24 May

Quirk 4 Kids Fundraiser

6PM - 8PM

Tuesday, May 24, 2022 6:00—8:00 p.m. Cadence Kitchen & Co.

24 May

Quirk 4 Kids Fundraiser

6PM - 8PM

Tuesday, May 24, 2022 6:00—8:00 p.m. Cadence Kitchen & Co.

Contact Amber

Send Amber a message related to DuPage County schools.