Principal's Message

CAT & CAL Parents,
  
 As we begin 2024-2025 school year, I am excited to enter my fourth year as principal of Thornton Fractional Center for Academics & Technology (CAT) and Thornton Fractional Center for Alternative Learning (CAL). We are two schools on one campus! Working with families from all four communities that District 215 services has been wonderful. As we begin this year, I am looking forward to continuing the partnerships with returning families and forging new partnerships with our new students and families.

I originally joined the District 215 staff in 1995 and have held several positions; Principal, being most challenging and rewarding. I grew up in East St. Louis, IL and attended Lincoln Senior High School. After graduating high school, I attended University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, where I majored in English Education. In 1999, I graduated with my master’s degree in Leadership and Administration from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Last semester I passed my comprehensive exam and have completed all of my course work in a doctoral program, Educational Administration and Foundations (EAF) at Illinois State University and will be working on my dissertation this school year!

My staff and I have made great strides in getting students on track and offering excellent CTE opportunities and job readiness skills. Our VSA program graduated 100 percent of the students on time for the third year in a row and we look to continue that trend. 

My educational philosophy is equity based, with the understanding that we have one goal of educating youth, but we must provide each student what is needed for them to reach their idea of success.  
  
 I look forward to working together with the students, parents, faculty, staff, and the local community. With all of us working together, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish!

Educationally,
 
 Mr. Raymond Williams- Proud Principal of CAT and CAL