June 5th, 2018

The Fund, CPS and Mayor Emanuel Announce 2018 Principal Leadership Program Participants

CHICAGO — Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Chicago Public Schools and the Chicago Public Education Fund today announced the addition of 60 principals into three of the city’s most prestigious school leadership programs: the Independent Schools Principals (ISP) program, the Cahn Fellows Program and the Chicago Principals Fellowship. Together, these programs aim to deepen the impact of our top principals through structured professional development and opportunities to take on greater leadership roles to support their peers. The performance of ISP principals and Fellows continues to drive outstanding student achievement at schools. The ISP program, which has expanded by more than 40 percent since last year, rewards high-performing principals with reduced red tape and more opportunities to innovate. The Cahn Fellows Program and Chicago Principals Fellowship represent the power of strong university, district and private sector partnerships. Both fellowships are intensive executive leadership development programs that have been specifically designed for and with Chicago’s most talented principals. “Chicago Public Schools students are making unprecedented academic gains and earning well-deserved national recognition and respect, and their success directly reflects the strong leadership that guides them," said Mayor Rahm Emanuel. "By empowering our leading principals with greater flexibility, we allow them to innovate in ways that ensure our students receive a high quality education tailored to meet their needs while putting them on a path to a brighter future.” “Chicago continues to lead the nation when it comes to improving student achievement, and our principals have been at the forefront of that growth,” said CPS Chief Executive Officer Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “Programs like ISP, the Cahn Fellows Program and the Chicago Principals Fellowship give seasoned principals new opportunities to learn, grow and innovate. We are proud to continue supporting our district’s top school leaders in ways that will help them accelerate the tremendous progress our schools have already made." Cahn Fellows Program and Chicago Principals Fellowship: Deepening Professional Capacity to Strengthen School Leaders CPS and The Chicago Public Education Fund (The Fund) are also announcing the selection of 30 Principal Fellows who will participate in one of two prestigious executive leadership development programs in the 2018-19 school year: the Cahn Fellows Program and the Chicago Principals Fellowship. As part of their participation, all Fellows commit to continuing to lead in CPS for at least three years. The Cahn Fellows Program for Distinguished Public Schools Principals at Teachers College, Columbia University is a national fellowship for principals. Since 2003, the Cahn Fellows Program has admitted an annual cohort of up to 20-25 principals from Chicago, New York, Newark, NJ and Charlotte, NC. It is expected that four additional cities will be represented in the 2018-19 program for a total of 32 principals; seven principals will be joining from Chicago. Throughout the yearlong program, each Cahn Fellow chooses an “ally” – an assistant principal or teacher leader – to participate in a two-week summer leadership institute and ongoing faculty study groups. The experience is intended to effectively link leadership and instructional theories from across organizations and at the school level to Fellows’ principal practice. This culminates in the exploration of a school-based project, which Fellows and allies collaboratively develop over the course of their Cahn Fellows experience. The following 7 principals will participate in the new cohort of Cahn Fellows:

Michael Boraz – Lincoln Park High School
Bud Bryant – Countee Cullen Elementary School
Clariza Dominicci – Marvin Camras Elementary School
Kevin Gallick – George Washington High School
Hiliana Leon – Albany Park Multicultural Academy
Alene Mason – Scott Joplin Elementary School
Carmen Navarro – Mariano Azuela Elementary School

The Chicago Principals Fellowship is an executive leadership development program designed through a partnership between Northwestern University, CPS and The Fund. The 2018-19 cohort consists of 23 principals from district and charter schools. Fellows participate in rigorous academic sessions provided by the Center for Nonprofit Management at the Kellogg School of Business at Northwestern University. They also receive a leadership evaluation, participate in facilitated learning sessions and meet monthly with Dr. Jackson to learn about and develop district policy. The following 23 principals will participate in the new cohort of Principal Fellows:

Martha Alba – Peter Cooper Elementary Dual Language Academy
Karen Anderson – James Ward Elementary School
Robert Baughman – Minnie Mars Jamieson Elementary School
Mary Beck – Nicholas Senn High School
Peggie Burnett-Wise – Morton School of Excellence
Colleen Collins – CICS – West Belden
Tyrone Dowdell – Wendell E. Green Elementary School
Emily Feltes – North-Grand High School
Kenneth Fitzner – Frank W. Reilly Elementary School
Shannae Jackson – Gwendolyn Brooks College Preparatory Academy High School
Kurt Jones – Franklin Elementary Fine Arts Center
Kate Kane – Mary Gage Peterson Elementary School
Fernando Kim – Frank W. Gunsaulus Elementary Scholastic Academy
Michael Kuran – Chicago Math and Science Academy Charter School
Mariel Laureano – Dr. Jorge Prieto Math and Science
Elizabeth Meyers – Asa Philip Randolph Elementary School
Sarah O’Connell – CICS – Bucktown
Rebecca Parker – Ray Graham Training Center High School
Molly Robinson – Acero Charter Schools – Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Steven Rouse – George Washington Carver Military Academy High School
Mark Schall, Sr. – Charles Allen Prosser Career Academy High School
Paul Schissler – Agustin Lara Elementary Academy
Karen Valentine – Thomas Edison Regional Gifted Center Elementary School

ISP: Providing Top Principals with Greater Autonomy to Lead School Growth CPS developed the ISP program to provide high performing principals with the flexibility to innovate and the autonomy to operate their schools with reduced oversight from Central Office. In addition to providing proven principals with the flexibility to lead and innovate, ISPs have the opportunity to engage in a unique, peer-to-peer professional learning community to discuss and share effective practices among their peers. Principal effectiveness rises as principals gain more experience, and through this innovative program the district is creating incentives to retain top principals and provide them with the professional flexibility to push their schools in a positive direction. There are currently 75 principals serving as ISPs, in addition to the 30 principals selected this year to join the network. This will be largest ISP cohort class in program history; ISP has tripled in size since its launch in the 2015-16 school year. The following 30 principals will join the ISP Network: