FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Chicago Public Education Fund’s annual Principal Storytelling event on Oct. 15 anchors a yearlong celebration of Chicago school leaders.
CHICAGO – Three Chicago principals will share in their own words what it takes to lead a school community at The Chicago Public Education Fund’s (The Fund’s) annual Principal Storytelling event on Thursday, Oct. 15, at 5:30 p.m. at the Griffin Museum of Science and Industry.
This year’s speakers are:
- Stacy Gray, James E. McDade Elementary Classical School (Chatham)
- Angelica Altamirano, Gurdon S. Hubbard High School (West Lawn)
- Edward Collins, Luther Burbank Elementary School (Belmont Cragin)
Research shows that one effective principal can add nearly three months of learning each year for every student in a school. Chicago’s 626 principals lead schools serving more than 300,000 young people.
“Every day, Chicago’s 626 principals are powering possibilities for more than 300,000 students,” Mariel Laureano, chief of Innovation and Improvement at The Fund, said. “Our Principal Storytelling Evening takes us behind the outcomes to show how they build schools where students want to be, strengthen learning, and prepare young people for what comes next. Strong principals change what’s possible for an entire school community, and this is a chance for Chicago to celebrate them and learn from their leadership.”
The Storytelling event is part of The Fund’s Principal Appreciation Month campaign — Powering Possibilities. Throughout October, more than a dozen Chicago principals are featured on ads across CTA bus routes and digital screens citywide, each paired with a data-driven result from their school.
Principal Appreciation Month is one part of The Fund’s year-round celebration of Chicago school leaders, both principals and assistant principals. Chicagoans can join by thanking a school leader with #PrincipalPrideChi and #PoweringPossibilities, and can find ready-to-use resources in The Fund’s Principal Appreciation toolkit.
Principals featured on CTA ads: Romian Crockett, Chalmers STEAM Elementary (North Lawndale); Bridget Harris, Acero Roberto Clemente (Galewood); Vicki H. Brown, South Shore Fine Arts Academy (South Shore); Elizabeth Gallo, Michael M. Byrne Elementary (Garfield Ridge); Angel Aguirre, Hurley Elementary (West Lawn); Michelle Ludford, Beaubien Elementary (Jefferson Park); Stephanie Bester, Garvy Elementary (Norwood Park); Andrew Russell, Blaine Elementary (Lakeview).
About The Chicago Public Education Fund
The Chicago Public Education Fund (The Fund) is a nonprofit organization that improves Chicago’s public schools by investing in the talented educators who lead them. Its data-driven strategies increase the number of strong leaders in Chicago’s public schools. The Fund’s program, policy, and partnership efforts are designed to meet school leaders where they are, to accelerate their growth, and to enable their retention.
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Source: A 2021 Wallace Foundation review of two decades of research found that replacing a below-average principal with an above-average one adds 2.9 months of math learning and 2.7 months of reading learning per year.
Media Contact
Brooke Rayford
Senior Manager of Communications
brayford@thefundchicago.org
The Chicago Public Education Fund