Summit Hill School District 161 Board Meeting | September 17, 2025

Article Summary: The Summit Hill District 161 Board of Education appointed longtime educator Deniz Aslan as the Interim Director of Curriculum for the 2025-2026 school year. Aslan, who has been with the district since 2008, will step into the role following the upcoming departure of current director John Snipes.

Curriculum Director Appointment Key Points:

• Deniz Aslan, the district’s Coordinator of Instructional Support, was unanimously approved as the Interim Director of Curriculum.

• Aslan will serve for the remainder of the 2025-2026 school year, succeeding John Snipes, whose resignation is effective October 23, 2025.

• She holds three master’s degrees in curriculum instruction, learning and technology, and administration.

The Summit Hill School District 161 Board of Education on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, unanimously appointed Deniz Aslan to serve as the Interim Director of Curriculum for the remainder of the school year. Aslan, the district’s current Coordinator of Instructional Support, will succeed John Snipes, who is resigning effective October 23.

Aslan is a veteran educator who has been with District 161 since 2008, serving as both a classroom teacher and in her current coordinator role. In a statement read on behalf of the superintendent, Aslan was praised for her extensive qualifications and deep roots in the district.

Along with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, Aslan holds master’s degrees in curriculum instruction, learning and technology, and administration.

“She’s pedagogically sound, and extremely hard worker, and is universally well-liked throughout the district,” the statement read. “We are very pleased this evening to recommend Deniz Aslan as the interim director.”

The interim appointment will allow Aslan to lead the district’s curriculum and instruction department for the rest of the 2025-2026 school year, providing stability after Snipes’s departure. Before the vote, board members thanked Snipes for his service and wished him well.