Ben Peterselli to be next Glenbard West principal

The Glenbard District 87 School Board recently appointed Ben Peterselli the next principal at Glenbard West High School, effective July 1. He will assume the role after Principal Peter Monaghan retires June 30.

Peterselli has been Glenbard West’s assistant principal for instruction since 2021, according to a news release. Prior to that role, he chaired the Glenbard West English department for nine years.

“When thinking about the principalship at Glenbard West, it is difficult not to think about the strong leadership of Dr. Monaghan and the high expectations that all stakeholders have for our school’s continued success,” Peterselli said in the release. “Serving Glenbard West is a source of immense honor and pride for me and I look forward to working with our talented staff to make a positive difference in the lives of all of our students.”

“Mr. Peterselli has experience as a master teacher, department chair and assistant principal for instruction and has had record success in all of these areas,” Superintendent David Larson said in the release. “He is a strong educational leader and we are fortunate to have him on our leadership team.”

Peterselli earned a bachelor’s degree in English education and a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of Kansas. He earned a master’s degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.

Peterselli was hired as English department chair for Glenbard West in 2012. Over the course of nine years as department chair, he worked at the building and district level to develop systems to improve the quality of curriculum, instruction and support for students. He also has served as summer school principal and the summer outreach and engagement coordinator.

His previous experience includes working eight years as an English teacher at Wheaton North High School. He was selected the 2010-11 Distinguished Teacher of the Year by the N.E.W. 200 Foundation for high school teaching.