An experienced leader and longtime CCSD 89 educator will be the next principal at Briar Glen Elementary School. At Monday’s Board of Education meeting, Dr. Jessica Langman was unanimously approved to be the school’s principal starting in the 2026-27 school year. Langman is currently the instructional coach at Briar Glen.
“Jess has this amazing love for learning. She’s collaborative, hard-working, and always wants to do what’s best for students,” said CCSD 89 Superintendent Doug Eccarius. “The Briar Glen staff already loves working with her. I know students and families will learn so much from her and love coming to school when she is their principal.”
Langman has worked her entire career in Community Consolidated School District 89, starting as a third-grade teacher at Arbor View Elementary in 2000. She also taught first grade, then intervention for math and reading at Arbor View.
Langman was an instructional coach as well as a reading and math intervention teacher at Park View Elementary for six years before she was selected in 2015 to help lead the rollout of full-day kindergarten at Arbor View, where she then taught kindergarten for four years. In 2019, she was selected to be one of the district’s instructional coaches, working with teachers at Arbor View and Briar Glen. She was the district’s representative and a contributor to the state’s Comprehensive Literacy Plan in 2024.
Langman said as principal, she wants to ensure every student feels valued, supported, and inspired to learn. She is looking forward to partnering with Briar Glen parents.
“My goal is to listen, be present, and continue building on what makes Briar Glen such a special place for students, families, and staff,” she said. “Briar Glen is such a welcoming school. I want to continue that positive, inclusive, and collaborative environment.”
Langman earned her undergraduate degree in elementary education from Roosevelt University in Chicago. She earned a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Concordia University in Chicago, and then a doctorate in educational leadership from Concordia, with a minor in reading, language, and literacy.
Langman and her husband, Bob, have been married for 22 years. They have a fun-loving Labrador retriever named Silverado. Langman loves traveling, spending time with their four nieces, and cooking.
Langman will start as Briar Glen principal on July 20. Langman is replacing Mitch Dubinsky, who was selected to be the principal of Westmoor School in District 28.