Starting with the 2021-22 school year, Ms. Mary Mangione will serve as the principal at the Dream Academy in Elgin.

Ms. Mangione serves as the Assistant Principal of Student Services for the Central Schools Programs, a position she has held since 2019. She brings more than a decade of teaching and educational leadership experience to her new role with deep knowledge and skills in the area of students with autism, emotional and behavior disorders. 

In her current role, Ms. Mangione facilitates IEP meetings and three-year evaluations, promotes restorative practices and serves as an instructional leader. She has also supported cross-departmental work through District committee participation. 

Prior to joining U-46, Ms. Mangione served as a lead teacher/case manager at the Virtual Connections Academy in Palatine. She has also served as an art teacher at South Campus Therapeutic Day School, developing the fine art program there, and as a special education teacher for students with high functioning autism at New Connections Academy. 

Ms. Mangione earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in visual communication and painting/drawing from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, a  Master’s in special education and another in educational leadership from Northeastern Illinois University 

Ms. Perkins came to Dream Academy in 2018 as a Cooperative Work Coordinator and APEX teacher for the Dream-Larkin extension program.  The program was just starting and she, alongside the Principal, Ms. Bush, led the program to a 75% graduation rate in the first year.  Prior to coming to Dream Academy Ms. Perkins was the Blended e-Learning and Upper School Principal from 2014-2018 at Cambridge Lakes Charter School in District 300.

While at Cambridge Lakes Charter School Ms. Perkins built the Blended e-Learning program from the ground up.  This Kindergarten through twelfth grade program was intended to provide families in District 300 with a learning alternative.  Before her leadership in this program the school had one high school graduate and only a handful of successful students.  Since that time, and still today, the Blended e-Learning program and high school continue to flourish and provide students with an alternative to traditional schooling.

Prior to taking on a Principalship in 2014 Ms. Perkins taught Computer Education classes at Parkside Middle School in Peru, Illinois and was an Elementary Computer Education Teacher for Pontiac Elementary District in Pontiac, Illinois.  She obtained experience teaching high school students from 2005-2008 when she was the Business Education teacher at St. Anne Community High School in St. Anne, Illinois, a small rural community high school outside of Kankakee, Illinois.  During this time Ms. Perkins was able to experience teaching in every grade level from Preschool through twelfth grade.

Ms. Perkins earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Education from Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois in 2004 and then earned a Master of Science degree in Educational Leadership from Eastern Illinois University in 2011.  She is always striving to learn more and do what is in the best interest of all students and is very happy to continue to be part of the Dream family moving forward