CPS Announces State-of-the-Art Englewood High School Will Be Community's First Early College STEM School

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Monday, November 05, 2018

CHICAGO - As work moves forward on the brand new, open enrollment neighborhood high school in Englewood, CPS announced today that the new state-of-the-art school will be the city’s ninth Early College Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) High School, providing students with high quality academic programming and the opportunity to earn college credit and work toward an associate degree while still in high school. The new Englewood STEM High School will open in fall 2019 starting with an inaugural freshman class under the leadership of Principal Conrad Timbers-Ausar.

“The new Englewood STEM High School will help students on the south side build 21st century skills today that help them succeed in college and secure the jobs of tomorrow,” said Mayor Emanuel. “With the leadership of Dr. Jackson and Principal Ausar, Englewood students will have the academic foundation they need to succeed and compete with the nation’s best.”

“We are thrilled to bring together Englewood students in the state-of-the-art high school they deserve with world-class academic programming that will ensure the new school rivals the city’s best,” said CPS CEO Dr. Janice K. Jackson. “CPS is committed to providing high quality academic programs to every neighborhood, and we can’t wait to welcome Englewood families to their brand new, 21st Century high school next fall.”

Beginning in fall 2019, Englewood STEM High School will add one grade each subsequent year until it serves grades 9-12 beginning in school year 2022-23. The school will be housed in a brand new, state-of-the-art, three-story facility that will include world-class multipurpose educational spaces, a modern outdoor sports facility, and a school-based medical center for use by both students as well as community residents.

“The new high school in Englewood will provide our students with the 21st century STEM education they deserve,” said Alderman Roderick Sawyer, 6th Ward. “In partnership with the City, CPS and with our community, we are proud to bring this state-of-the-art programming to our students, and we can’t wait to see what they accomplish.”

Through a unique collaboration that connects high school, college, and career, the New Englewood STEM High School will be paired with Kennedy-King College and an industry leader that will help develop unique curriculum to prepare students for careers in science and technology. Through these impactful programs, students will graduate prepared to explore careers in science and technology and with early college and career credentials that give them a head-start on their college degree.

Students will have the option to earn college credit through Kennedy-King College, potentially leading to an associate degree, an advanced certificate or a basic certificate while in high school. Students will also have the opportunity to receive hands-on career experience and earn certifications through Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways in Information Technology (IT) and Health Sciences.

“Our early college students are thriving, saving both time and money as they earn credits that lead to college credentials,” said Chancellor Juan Salgado. “We welcome Englewood high school students at City Colleges and look forward to supporting them along their paths to college and career success.”

External partners will also provide mentorship programming, internships, and other work-based experiences for students. These agreements are being finalized and will be announced as soon as possible.

Following a recommendation from the Englewood Steering Committee, CPS selected Conrad Timbers-Ausar to serve as principal of the new Englewood STEM High School. Previously, Principal Ausar served as the principal of Urban Prep Academy-Bronzeville campus, where he led the school in improvements across various performance metrics and saw 100 percent of graduating seniors admitted to a four-year college and universities. Ausar was also the founding principal of Ombudsman West and Ombudsman South, options schools that had one-year graduation rates of over ninety percent during his tenure as principal. Ausar was a history, graphic design and entrepreneurship teacher at the Chicago International Charter Schools (CICS) Ralph Ellison campus, where he was twice voted CICS-Ellison’s Teacher of the Year.

"I am extremely excited about the opportunity to serve as the founding instructional leader of Englewood's new STEM high school,” said Principal Conrad Timbers-Ausar. “It is an opportunity to really impact lives and prepare our students for success in college and careers of the future."

Principal Ausar holds a B.A. in History from DePaul University and an M.Ed. in Educational Leadership from the American College of Education. Ausar was a member of the second cohort of the Chicago Principal’s Fellowship at the Center for Nonprofit Management at Kellogg and the School for Education and School Policy, at Northwestern University. In 2018, Ausar was selected to be part of the inaugural cohort for the Chicago Public Schools Great Expectations Mentoring program.

The new Englewood STEM High School is being created to provide a high quality, 21st Century high school for families in Englewood. Englewood has the sixth largest high school age population in the city, but in recent years more than 90 percent of students have left the neighborhood to attend high school. The new high school will provide a guaranteed, high-quality option for all Englewood families who reside in the previous Harper, Hope and Robeson high school attendance boundaries (TEAM Englewood is a citywide school with no attendance boundary).

To learn more applying to Englewood STEM High School and about GoCPS, visit www.go.cps.edu.

Chicago Public Schools serves 361,000 students in 644 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

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