🎉 CONGRATS: Mr. Ron Harrigan named 2025 Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) High School Teacher of the Year!

INCS HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR: Congratulations to Southland’s own Mr. Ron Harrigan, who has been named the 2025 Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) High School Teacher of the Year! Mr. Harrigan received this prestigious honor yesterday during an all-school pep rally that included vibrant performances by Southland’s 200-member band and the Marching Lady Eagles.


“Mr. Harrigan is an outstanding educator and musician. He has the patience of Job when it comes to working with kids,” said Southland fine arts director Dr. Carl Cogar. “His expectations and ability to help the kids meet those expectations are outstanding. He far surpasses anyone I know as a music educator.”

When Southland College Prep opened in 2010, Harrigan was the band director for two years while also teaching at Huth Middle School in Matteson. After being full-time director of bands at Huth, Harrigan returned to Southland College Prep part-time in 2017 as associate band director and became full-time director of bands in fall 2020.

Harrigan was awarded $10,000 as part of his INCS High School Teacher of the Year recognition. Harrigan's wife, Diana, also a talented music educator, greeted her husband during the surprise announcement where he learned he earned the award.  

 
The rally also celebrated Southland College Prep Charter High School receiving the Illinois State Board Education's highest designation of Exemplary for the sixth time in the statewide Report Card on schools released late last week. Southland is the only charter high school in the state of Illinois to receive the Exemplary designation. 
 
Such amazing news has been happening at "The Land" and this has certainly been a school Spirit Week to remember.

We were especially #SouthlandProud to congratulate Mr. Harrigan with the surprise news of receiving the well-deserved honor of INCS High School Teacher of the Year!!!

Enjoy these special looks at the surprise moment covered live by local television news stations: Fox 32 Chicago (embedded above), NBC 5, and WGN linked here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1BSUKzLlBqE9RsoQrNrIIJjznK-5lYFbi?usp=sharing.

READ MORE: (Chicago Tribune/Daily Southtown via Yahoo! News):
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/southland-college-prep-band-director-012000363.html