A Woodstock educator who began his career teaching Life Skills has been tapped as the new principal of Woodstock High School.

Assistant Principal John Liuzzi will take the helm this summer in the school system, Woodstock Community Unit School District 200, where he’s spent his whole career, officials announced in a news release.

Both of the District 200 high schools will get new principals this year, with Woodstock North High Assistant Principal Tyler Carlson recently named leader at that campus.

Liuzzi cited Woodstock High’s “rich history, positive school culture, and high academic standards,” saying he’s humbled to take on the role.

“For more than 100 years, WHS has been the pride of our community. We remain committed to being fully invested in our present responsibilities so that future Blue Streaks can be proud of our past,” Liuzzi, who was named assistant principal in 2022, said in the release.

District Superintendent Mike Moan said Liuzzi is highly regarded by his colleagues and was the unanimous choice of fellow staff members.

“We’ve been able to watch John grow as an educator and a leader for more than a decade. We’re confident that he’s ready for this next challenge and will continue pursuing excellence for Blue Streak students and staff,” Moan said in the release.

Liuzzi has a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Butler University, a master’s degree in education from Northern Illinois University and a second master’s degree in educational leadership from the American College of Education, the district said.

He started as a Life Skills special education teacher at Woodstock North in 2013, where he also taught history, math, English and reading.

Liuzzi later became a teacher in the school’s AVID program, working with teens with the potential to become first-generation college students and helping them with career and college readiness.

Since moving over to Woodstock High as assistant principal, he’s launched and led the WHS Link Crew, which pairs upperclassmen with incoming freshmen.

Liuzzi enjoyed teaching special education but he hoped to have an impact on a larger student population, he said in the release.

“The people are what make Woodstock High such a special place. We have kind, ambitious students being taught by dedicated educators. I aim to put students and staff in positions to grow, affect change, become leaders, and reinvest in the community,” Liuzzi said.

This school year, Woodstock High was the highest-rated school in McHenry County, according to U.S. News and World Report’s Best High Schools rankings.

“The bar we set for our students is a high one, so we have to insist on total support for our students to make sure they can maximize their potential. Whether that’s teachers helping students, or students helping their peers, we recommit ourselves daily to the goal of helping students achieve excellence,” Liuzzi said in the release.

Liuzzi said he credited the mentorship he received from thoughtful leaders who helped him develop his skills throughout his time in District 200.

“Now I have the opportunity to continue that tradition of commitment,” he said.

Liuzzi was featured in Shaw Local’s Thank You, Teachers special section in 2022. There, he spoke of how counseling a seventh-grader with autism while in college “changed the game for me” and made him realized he “can invest my time and energy and have a specific impact on kids and students and shape their success.”

Liuzzi, whose appointment as principal was approved by the District 200 school board Tuesday, replaces Art Vallicelli, who’s leaving at the end of the school year to become an assistant superintendent in Mundelein.