Fund Principal and #PrincipalPrideCHI Campaign Profiled in the LoganSquarist

"Local Hero Principal Hallums Spurs Funston To Greatness" By Michael Joseph Garza of the LoganSquarist Two things are clear after speaking with Julie Hallums, principal of Funston Elementary in Logan Square, about her recent admittance into a prestigious professional development program through CPS: she cares for Funston deeply and is not in this for accolades. Instead, she’s focusing on the hard work of educating. The devotion it takes to be a teacher isn’t a new narrative, but the dedication of principals is. Other than folks like Troy LaRaviere (a former principal) and suburban heroes like Jason Markey, no principal rings any bells in my limited knowledge of public memory. To solve this dilemma, CPS and the Chicago Public Education Fund launched the Principal Pride Campaign, encouraging students and staff to give shout-outs on social media with the hashtag #PrincipalPrideChi and to compose short videos highlighting the kind of impact these principals have within their schools. When Principal Hallums and I arranged a time to talk, it was during lunch at both our day jobs (I was eating, she was not. “Food will happen when it happens,” was her reasoning). When asked about her new steps toward professional development, she had nothing but great things to say — about Funston. What Hallums doesn’t boast about is her recent inclusion to the Educator Advisory Committee, a team formed by The Chicago Public Education Fund and made up solely of educators, assembled to foster conversation and share best practices for facing the complex task of managing Chicago schools. Essentially, the Justice League of Chicago Teachers if it had 24 members of the smartest people in their respective rooms. Read the complete interview at the LoganSquarist.