D99 administrator no stranger to advocacy for cutting-edge academic best practices

Cicero District 99 is pleased to announce Dr Benjamin Zulauf as the new incoming director of teaching and learning (grades K-5) for the District, effective July 1.

For the past few years, Zulauf has proudly served as a District leader in curriculum — most recently, in his current role as director of reading and language arts.

An avid supporter of literacy in youth academia, Zulauf is a frequent and trusted educational contributor on social media platforms, including X and Substack, where he shares messaging on the newest studies relating to children's literacy, research into best practices in the classroom and personal insight into what he has found has worked best when implemented in schools across District 99.

As passionate as he is for staying on top of the latest "EDU-world" news, Zulauf has been a valued member of the District 99 team, and is eager to bring his plethora of experiences — both as a classroom teacher and researcher — into his new role at the District level.

Zulauf's credentials include a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a master's degree in literacy from Judson University, a master's degree in educational leadership from National Louis University, and a doctoral degree in literacy from Judson University.