Superintendent Krish Mohip on School

Krish Mohip became superintendent of Illinois' Proviso Township High Schools District 209 in 2024. The 4,200-student district serves grades 9-12 from its headquarters in Forest Park, a Chicago suburb.

Mohip's career began as a Chicago Public Schools teacher in 2000. He moved into administration as an assistant principal by age 27 and became a principal by 30. He chose to lead the then-low-performing John A. Walsh Elementary on Chicago's South Side. "I chose that, because my passion's always been around supporting low-income Black and brown students, especially," Mohip told K-12 Dive.

Over seven years, his leadership improved Walsh's performance, catching the attention of district leadership. He later served as deputy chief of schools for Chicago Public Schools. State leaders in Ohio then recruited him to help lead its takeover of Youngstown City Schools. He said he contributed to a 15% graduation rate increase and a substantial narrowing of achievement gaps there during his three-year tenure.

Philosophy for School Turnarounds

Mohip's core educational philosophy consists of three statements. "All kids can learn, all kids want to learn, and it's up to the adults to make it happen," he said. He believes a leader's belief in what is possible must become infectious within both the school system and the wider community.

He argues that high-achieving students need support to meet their goals. For low-achieving students, educators must set stretch goals to help them catch up within a set timeframe. Mohip acknowledges this is harder at the high school level, where there are only four years to make up ground.

The culture he aims to build is based on providing a high-quality experience. He believes students will meet and exceed the challenge. Mohip also contends students inherently want to learn, though not necessarily through traditional teaching methods. He emphasizes preparing students for life by building persistence and the ability to endure productive struggle into daily classroom experiences.

Addressing Leadership Challenges

Upon arriving in Proviso, Mohip identified Proviso West High School as having significant leadership challenges. His first step was to assess the situation. He then moved central office staff into the building to provide real-time support to the administrative staff and teachers.

This support focused on helping the school build systems and strategize on operations, not on sending leaders to training. The goal was to gradually release support so the school could function independently. This approach helped get students back into classrooms, addressing a major problem of students being in the building but not attending class.

Mohip recalled a student thanking him, saying, "This place finally feels like a real high school." That moment confirmed for him that students desired more structure and a serious academic environment. His efforts included holding students accountable, talking to families, and conducting home visits to build partnerships around the importance of school attendance.

He stresses that effective leadership is not about one person. Building leadership teams that include teachers and students as key stakeholders is critical, a lesson he has carried from Chicago to Ohio to Proviso. This principle is central to building a strong squad of leaders within a school.

Strategies to Reduce Chronic Absenteeism

Mohip credits improvements in chronic absenteeism to a focus on two areas: communication and accountability. The communication component involved informing students and parents about the importance of attendance and notifying parents when students were absent.

Previously, there were no real consequences for missing school. The district created a consistent system of consequences, such as detentions. They also implemented a new notification system. Now, parents receive a note for any late arrival or missed class. If a student cuts all classes or a parent does not call to report an absence, parents get a phone call or text message after every missed period.

This policy has prompted conversations with parents about the importance of attendance. If the school is not notified, they treat the student as truant and continue outreach. Tracking this data is a key part of our stats on student engagement.

Another communication tool is the weekly BAG report, which stands for behavior, attendance, and grades. Students receive a physical paper copy, and parents get an emailed version. Mohip believes in the power of putting that data directly into students' hands.