Mayor Emanuel and CPS Announce 2018 Principal Leadership Programs

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Tuesday, June 5, 2018

CHICAGO - Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago Public Schools 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 25 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.”

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 64 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:

• Mark Armendariz - Lincoln Elementary School
• Lawanda Bishop - Kipling Elementary School
• Pamela Brandt - Goudy Technology Academy
• Natasha Buckner - Clark Elementary School
• Alice Buzanis - Sherwood Elementary School
• Carol Deven-Falk - Corkery Elementary
• Nneka Gunn - Eberhart Elementary School
• Stephen Harden - Cameron Elementary Schools
• Jacqueline Hearns - Hefferan Elementary School
• Rigo Hernandez - Pickard Elementary School
• Christine Jabbari - Rogers Elementary School
• Lourdes Jimenez - Salazar Elementary School
• Antigoni Lambrinides - West Ridge Elementary School
• Laura Lemone -Von Steuben High School
• Nathan Manaen - Ravenswood Elementary School
• Suzanne Mazenis-Luzzi - Jungman Elementary School
• Maria McManus - STEM Magnet Academy
• Kelly Mest - Northside College Prep High School
• Christine Munns - Sauganash Elementary School
• Naomi Nakayama - Budlong Elementary School
• John O’Connell - Sheridan Math & Science Academy
• Konstantinos Patsiopoulos -Holden Elementary
• Joseph Peila - Chappell Elementary School
• Danielle Porch - Caldwell Academy of Math & Sciences
• Eileen Scanlan -Cassel Elementary School
• Rashid Shabazz - Wadsworth Elementary School
• Charles Smith - Infinity High School
• Stacy Stewart - Belmont-Cragin Elementary School
• Takeshi White-James - Avalon Park Elementary School
• Ferdinand Wipachit -Phoenix Military High School

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

Chicago Public Schools serves 371,000 students in 646 schools. It is the nation’s third-largest school district.

###

*An earlier version of this release contained the incorrect total number of ISP principals.