Bruce E. Scher

Department of English alumnus Bruce E. Scher '74, MA '77 is the Academic Dean and Director of College Counseling at Chicagoland Jewish High School. Scher has over 30 years of experience as an educator and college consultant in the public schools and brings his expertise in teaching, curriculum and development, and developmental guidance to Chicagoland Jewish High School. He is one of the founding instructors of The Academy for College Admission Counseling, which is a professional development partnership with Elmhurst College. Scher’s educational experiences range from teaching English, Spanish, Hebrew, reading, and humanities to gifted education and adult education. He has conducted instructional workshops locally and nationally and has been a speaker at national conferences.

He was recently appointed to the position of Vice-President of the Midwest Region of CAJUE: Counselor Advocacy for the Jewish University Experience. This organization is developed by college counselors in North America who work closely with Jewish high school students, both in public and private schools, through the college admission process. 

Scher has served as the President of the Illinois Association for College Admission Counseling for two years. He has also served as a high school director and delegate for the National Association for College Admission Counseling. He has spent time in Washington, DC and in Springfield, IL lobbying on behalf of young people and their families to ensure to try to ensure that all young people, regardless of socio-economic background, are able to receive a college education. He has been featured in the Chicago Sun-Times for his unique program on critical thinking in the high school, received the Dr. Mary Kooyumjiam Award for his contributions to gifted education, won the National Council Teachers of English Center of Excellence Award, and was presented with the Governor’s Master Teacher Appointment. Scher is presently on the Advisory Committee for the Fiske Guide to Colleges, which recently received an endorsement by USA Today as “The best college guide you can buy.”

Because of his passion for education, he has served as a supervising and cooperating teacher with Illinois State University and Northern Illinois University, where he has had the opportunity to work with young educators just completing their formal education.