Growing up in a rural southeast Ohio community, Kathleen was raised by two lifelong educators. 鈥淪chool just feels like home to me,鈥� she shares. Somewhat surprisingly, though, her plan in college wasn鈥檛 to go into teaching. She studied food and nutrition science and hoped to work on improving school lunch programs through the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But a desire to better understand schools from the inside led her to join Teach For America. She listed Washington, D.C., as her top city, but was placed in 海角直播鈥� at Peterson Elementary. That was nearly 11 years ago, and she has never left.

From her early days teaching STEM 鈥� at the time a K-8 program with no curriculum, which she helped lift off the ground 鈥� to her current role as assistant principal, Kathleen has always considered Peterson more than just her school 鈥� it is her professional home. 鈥淧eterson is the most special school in all of [海角直播],鈥� she says. 鈥淲e have 43 different languages and kids from all over the world. If we can all learn in one place and draw from each other’s strengths and experiences, there is so much hope for the future.鈥�

Kathleen鈥檚 work centers on students鈥� voices. Her belief in their agency is real, but beyond including them in decisions, she equips students to lead. She is currently collaborating with a group of sixth and seventh graders on an attendance leadership team. The students are conducting empathy interviews with peers who are chronically absent, aiming to understand barriers to attendance and to design solutions.

Assistant Principal Kathleen Hurley at Peterson Elementary, 2025.

This student-centered approach pervades Peterson, too. 鈥淲e have teachers committed to making student voice committees happen and leading kids through the design process to figure out what they want to do,鈥� Kathleen says. One standout example is the student-created RISE framework, which defines behavioral norms in shared spaces. RISE stands for respectful, intelligent, safe, and empathetic. After students expressed confusion about expectations, Kathleen and the school鈥檚 Culture and Climate Team empowered them to research, design, and roll out the new norms. They surveyed peers, collected feedback, and created hallway posters 鈥� even organizing pep rallies to build excitement.

Kathleen has accomplished a lot in her 11 years at Peterson, and she credits much of her growth to working alongside Peterson鈥檚 principal, Yalil Nieves. 鈥淪he鈥檚 such a phenomenal mentor,鈥� Kathleen says. 鈥淪he lets me learn right alongside her.鈥� At the same time, Kathleen is trying to overcome her humility as she prepares to take her leadership to the next level. 鈥淪omething I鈥檓 working on as I prepare for the principal eligibility process is saying, 鈥業 did this,鈥� instead of just crediting the team or students,鈥� she says.聽

Her years of hard work, along with Yalil鈥檚 mentorship and participation in The Fund鈥檚 2024-25 Leadership Bridge program, is preparing Kathleen to lead her own school, though she鈥檚 clear that her heart is at Peterson.

Regardless of her future, Kathleen鈥檚 leadership philosophy will remain rooted in a deep belief in students 鈥� their voices, their power, and their potential. 鈥淚 believe that has to drive everything we do,鈥� she says. At Peterson, it does.

After earning a biology degree, Verneisha felt drawn back to her original dream 鈥� education. Her early teaching experience at Austin High School was eye-opening. She had expected that all public high schools in 海角直播would offer the same resources and opportunities she had as a student at Gwendolyn Brooks College Prep. Instead, she encountered opportunity gaps that would later define her leadership approach.

鈥淚 thought I was walking into a system where every student had the same shot,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淏ut the inequities were real 鈥� and deeply personal to me.鈥�

When Verneisha joined Jones as an assistant principal, she brought a clear vision: to develop systems of support that enable all students to thrive. One of her proudest accomplishments has been building the Student Success Team, a combination of the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) and the Behavioral Health Team (BHT). This team provides academic and social-emotional interventions for students, especially those who might otherwise be overlooked.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a misconception that because we鈥檙e a selective enrollment school, our students don鈥檛 need additional supports. That鈥檚 simply not true,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚n reality, families with means often access these supports outside of school. My goal is to ensure every student, regardless of socioeconomic status, has access.鈥�

Assistant Principal Verneisha Gair at Jones College Prep, 2025.

This year, Verneisha鈥檚 work with The Fund鈥檚 Design Coaching to Implement has helped advance this vision. Initially, she joined the program to improve MTSS implementation. However, through empathy interviews with students 鈥� particularly Black male students 鈥� Verneisha discovered a deeper issue: a lack of belonging.

Students didn鈥檛 discuss curriculum or teaching styles. Instead, they shared stories of feeling out of place 鈥� experiences related to socioeconomic status, cultural differences, and a lack of representation.

鈥淭hey talked about being first-generation students, about never having been downtown before coming to Jones, and feeling isolated when others talked about vacations abroad or going out for lunch,鈥� Verneisha shared. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 when we realized that the core challenge was building a sense of belonging.鈥�

Verneisha is using the insights gained from Design Coaching to Implement to develop the Jones Inclusivity Framework. This framework 鈥� designed with input from students, staff, and counselors 鈥� will serve as a guide for building a school culture rooted in representation, cultural competence, and connection.

This project reflects Verneisha鈥檚 philosophy as a leader. 鈥淢y leadership style is relationship-based,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about treating people with respect, listening deeply, and leading with a vision for equitable access so students can self-actualize.鈥�

Verneisha鈥檚 transformative work at Jones shows how assistant principals work hard to improve students鈥� educational experiences 鈥� just one of the many ways in which they can positively affect their schools. She wants people to understand that assistant principals are more than just administrators. 鈥淲e鈥檙e doing deep, adaptive work every day,鈥� she says. 鈥淲e may not be the principal, but our touchpoints are everywhere 鈥� academic systems, student well-being, culture-building. We鈥檙e architects of experience.鈥�

This collaboration comes at a pivotal moment. While 81.9% of CPS students identify as Latino/a/x or Black, only 62.7% of principals identify as such. By providing identity-based mentorship and professional development, these affinity groups will help build a more diverse pipeline of school leaders that better reflects the students and communities they serve.

Bridging Long-Standing Gaps

LLP鈥檚 co-founders understand the need for diverse leadership firsthand. Felipe Perez brings deep experience working in different departments across CPS, Olimpia Bahena is a seasoned principal who knows what it takes to successfully lead a school, and Nicholas Guerrero is one of CPS鈥� youngest principals, bringing a fresh lens to his role. Finally, with over 23 years in education, Clariza Dominicci has a keen eye for relationship building, leadership cultivation, and allyship.聽

For LLP鈥檚 co-founders, the Affinity Group Program is a long-awaited next step in the journey for broader Latino/a/x representation in school leadership. Leaders draw on their personal experiences in outlining their vision for a more inclusive and culturally responsive professional environment.

Nicholas Guerrero is inspired by his mother’s determination as a Mexican immigrant and educator. He reflects, “If it weren’t for our Latino/a/x culture and the educators who resembled my mom, life would have been very different for her and me.” His mother’s journey from immigrant to CPS teacher and assistant principal motivated him to ensure similar pathways for families like his.

Nicholas’ story is not unique. The racial and ethnic disparity between Chicago鈥檚 diverse student population and its educators was evident. The Affinity Group Program aims to close this gap by offering identity-based mentorship and professional development support, looking to encourage more Latino/a/x school leaders.

Redefining Leadership

“For 20 years, I had no Latino/a/x leadership community,” shared Olimpia, echoing a common struggle among the 18.6% of CPS principals who identify as Latino/a/x. The tailored coaching in this program will focus on nurturing each participant’s strengths while expanding their skill sets in instructional leadership, talent management, and strategic planning.聽聽

The Affinity Group Program emphasizes long-term professional development that reflects Latino/a/x educators鈥� cultural values 鈥� a consistent barrier to Latino/a/x educators pursuing the principalship. 鈥淚 have seen a lot of leaders who have felt that they needed to fit a mold in order to progress in their careers and leadership,鈥� Felipe said, drawing on his experience launching the CPS Teacher Residency program and the Teach 海角直播Tomorrow program. 鈥淚n order to fit that mold, they needed to put aside a lot of really important personal, familial, and cultural values.鈥澛�

The Fund and LLP鈥檚 partnership is part of a focused, sustained commitment to develop future Latino/a/x聽 leaders for Chicago鈥檚 public schools. As Olimpia said, 鈥淲e’re doing more than just creating opportunities; we’re actively building a foundation for greater inclusivity.鈥� Together, we aim to redefine school leadership in CPS to be more inclusive, equitable, and culturally responsive.

Progress Through Allyship

The Fund is also teaming up with Center Forward to support Black aspiring principals in school leadership. Rodney Thomas, an experienced educator in organizational design, executive coaching, and leadership development, will help lead this second affinity group.聽

LLP is greatly looking forward to working with Center Forward and the Black affinity group. 鈥淲hat gets me really excited in this work is that we’re focusing on bringing up Black and brown voices in Black and brown leadership, especially our Black males,鈥� explained Clariza.

The purpose of the Affinity Group Program isn’t just to develop principals; it will also provide leaders of color the time and space to collaborate, learn more about their identity, and reflect on their leadership. As Julie Burnett, The Fund鈥檚 Director of Partnerships, shared, 鈥淚t is even more critical for schools and leaders to emphasize unity and shared humanity during this crucial time for the city and the nation.鈥�

As The Fund sharpens its focus on supporting a diverse and representative pool of principals and aspiring principals, we are prioritizing partnerships with local organizations deeply embedded in Chicago’s rich cultural landscape.

Affinity groups are a new part of The Fund鈥檚 wide-ranging programming. To learn more about our work, our commitment to nurturing future leaders, and how you can get involved, we encourage you to visit our programs page. Together, we can create lasting change and ensure that our school leadership reflects the vibrant diversity of our students and communities.

The Fund: How did you end up pursuing a career in education?

Principal Garza-Hammerlund: I am a native Chicagoan and a 海角直播 high school graduate. While in college, I realized I wanted to become a teacher. I was lucky enough to obtain a job at the elementary school located in the neighborhood where I grew up.

The Fund: What neighborhood did you grow up in?

Principal Garza-Hammerlund: The Ashburn neighborhood on the Southwest Side near Bogan High School. I began working at Dawes Elementary, which is right behind it, and taught sixth grade language arts and science. While there, my love of middle school began, and I’ve just always felt really passionate about helping kids see their potential and be their best selves. I’ve always wanted to help the kids who need help most 鈥� the kids who saw the least in themselves.

I earned my first master鈥檚 in instructional technology, I was genuinely interested in bringing technology and a constructivist learning model into the classroom. This was one of the things I most enjoyed about teaching science; I like helping students build their own learning.

After 10 years in the classroom, I shifted to teaching library and technology skills. I also coached alongside teachers around technology integration and content areas like math and science. I taught and coached at Sandoval Elementary on the Southwest Side for eight years.

A close colleague I worked with at Sandoval joined Albany Park Multicultural Academy as the assistant principal. I was lucky enough to then join her at Albany Park as an instructional coach. Soon after, I became assistant principal and eventually principal. Albany Park is a long way from the South Side, but it鈥檚 so amazing to craft what we do around our niche of students.

The Fund: What has been your experience with The Fund?

Principal Garza-Hammerlund: The previous principal, Hiliana Le贸n, connected me with The Fund. She participated in the Cahn Fellows Program through Columbia University in 2018. I was her ally in the program. When she left, the first thing I did as a new principal was join a Professional Learning Community. That really helped me connect with other principals around a like-minded topic. I saw ways that we could work together, problem-solve, and focus on seeing the results of whatever it was we were working on, be it student achievement or teacher professional development. It became an important component for my own growth. I was always reflecting, what does my school need? What does my staff need?

The Fund: Can you share about your experience with The Fund鈥檚 Design Challenge?

Principal Garza-Hammerlund: The Design Challenge certainly pushed me out of my comfort zone. It was during a time we were coming through a year of practicing survival skills more often than thriving ones. I was really nervous about doing it. I said to myself, 鈥淭his was a place where you could grow.鈥� I was very proud that I pushed myself to revisit and scrutinize the work that we had done, and look at areas where we could strengthen data collection. Also thinking, we should also strengthen the questions we ask ourselves about that data, and question assumptions about our school community, our students, the staff 鈥� and assumptions I was making about myself.

That was an eye-opening experience for me. I learned to question these assumptions we were making and really peel back the layers. I encouraged and supported the team to accomplish the same. This helped us look beyond our assumptions to make better decisions for improved student learning.

Albany Park鈥檚 2022 Design Challenge entry presented a program in which English language learners and newcomer students were given more autonomy in the classroom and in their learning experience. The program blended students鈥� needs with students鈥� choices to create a more effective, inclusive, collaborative school environment. Learn more about their Design Challenge project in our report Equity-Focused Innovation in Chicago鈥檚 Public Schools.

The Fund: Tell us about yourself and how you got into education as a career.

Principal Kimbrough: I started as the new principal of Jahn School of Fine Arts on July 1, 2022. [It was] my 18th year in education. Education, to me 鈥� I think it was something I always knew I wanted and somewhere I needed to be. Initially, I joined the United States Environmental Protection Agency here in Chicago. I worked mainly in the Office of Public Affairs, where I did community and media relations. About eight years into my career, I realized I wanted to do something different. So I started thinking about it, and I decided to get my substitute certificate. I decided to, at least, take a stab at being a substitute teacher. On my first day, I knew it was what I wanted to do. So from there, it was a matter of figuring out how I could get into teaching. I had no education degree and no experience whatsoever. Eventually, I found an alternative teaching program and got accepted into it. That’s how it all started.

The Fund: How did you find the Jahn School of Fine Arts?

Principal Kimbrough: Jahn actually found me, to be honest with you. I was quite comfortable in my assistant principal position, but I knew at some point I wanted to move into a principalship. Working with The Fund, I had done Leadership Bridge, and that helped me figure out where I was going. I even worked on a Professional Learning Community for assistant principals. I was comfortable at Skinner North [Classical School]; I was happy I was doing work that I thought spoke to the needs of the community. I was doing work around equity, which really is a big driver for me. Then, a member of the Jahn Local School Council reached out. I guess they saw the things that we were doing at Skinner North. I applied, did a number of interviews, participated in a public forum with the finalists, and eventually was offered the role of principal, in which I now sit.

The Fund: Tell us about your time at Skinner North and your transition to Jahn.

Principal Kimbrough: Skinner North, interestingly enough, is one of the few selective enrollment elementary schools in Chicago. Our students come from all over the city and have to test into the school. Something I appreciated during my time there was my work around distributive leadership, really learning that the work of leading a school can’t necessarily be done by the administrators alone. It takes a lot of calling on and pulling on members of your staff to actually help do that work. And interestingly, that has carried over into the work that I’m doing at Jahn.

The first thing that I wholeheartedly did with my staff was reach out and say, 鈥淗ey, I am new, but this work is not going to be done by administration alone. I need you guys to step up.鈥� And overwhelmingly, the staff have definitely risen to the occasion, doing everything from helping figure out what professional development week is going to look like, to revitalizing our instructional-leadership team, to leading interviews for open positions within the school. They have really jumped out there and taken the lead on what needs to happen to move the school forward beyond the actual leadership of the school leader. So that has been something that I could wholeheartedly say has been brought over to Jahn, as well as a lot of work around equity I did at Skinner North.

The Fund: Can you tell us a little bit about your time in Leadership Bridge?

Principal Kimbrough: I think the Leadership Bridge program really did so much for me. And the good part about it is that it provided me, first and foremost, with a continuous opportunity to be a part of a triad to grow as a leader. That triad consisted of my principal at the time and my leadership coach from the University of Illinois Chicago. So while I had some opportunities to do that on my own, Leadership Bridge gave us the chance to come together more often as a team and really build upon the principles and ideals that we learned during our meetings. We could take what we learned from those sessions and actually apply it. It really assisted me in laying the groundwork for thinking about what my next moves were as a leader.

About Leadership Bridge

Leadership Bridge supports the leadership development and career growth of assistant principals (APs) so that they are ready to assume principalship in the next one to two years. It aims to ensure that 海角直播has a robust, high-quality, and diverse pipeline of school leaders. Through on-the-job professional development and individualized coaching sessions from school leadership experts at , the , and , APs work in close collaboration with their principals to prepare for their future roles and to develop succession plans for their schools.

Since the inception of the program in 2019, The 海角直播 has supported more than 60 AP and principal pairs to develop clear succession plans for their schools, and has seen more than 20 APs successfully become principals in 海角直播schools.

The survey responses inform our programming and help us to work toward our mission to improve public schools in 海角直播by investing in the talented educators who lead them. For the first time, we are excited to announce the program changes that are informed by the survey before the start of the school year. Based on the survey data, and discussions with members of our Educator Advisory Committee, we are:

1. Providing more support for principals鈥� professional development.

87% of participating principals want more time for professional learning and development.

We are investing over $1 million in our core programs for 2023-24. We aim to serve more than 200 principals through our Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Based on survey feedback, we will offer Illinois Administrator Academy credits for free through select semester-long PLCs. We will also offer our traditional yearlong PLCs focused on topics ranging from community partnerships, instructional leadership teams, and Local School Councils. Participants in yearlong PLCs will be eligible to receive a stipend for continued learning.

For principals leading schools in communities with high student mobility, we are launching a new, two-year fellowship program. The Malott Educator Fellowship will provide support to qualifying elementary school principals in years three through seven.

2. Renewing our commitment to adequate, equitable resources and principal flexibility.

57% of participating principals want more resources, and 53% want more flexibility in how resources are used.

We know adequate, equitable resources are required for the hard work that school leaders do. In the year ahead, we will share budget adequacy and equity analyses with elected officials and other local and state leaders. We will publish reports that shed light on the positive impact of increased funding and on the need to maintain and grow funding levels. Our past case studies and reports highlighted equity and the need for adequacy.

The survey results also showed that many principals value the flexibility to use resources in ways they know will best serve their school communities. We know there is a relationship between increased leadership latitude, joyful student learning, and positive school culture. Supporting school leaders鈥� ability to lead with local needs at the center is critical to increasing principal satisfaction and keeping them in their role.

Our continued investment in the Summer Design Program (SDP) and the Design Challenge are avenues for principals to pursue change that makes a difference for the communities they serve. Participation also helps build capacity across their leadership teams. In our Design Studio format, teams work together to build future solutions for the challenges they are experiencing today.

3. Investing in social and emotional learning (SEL) supports.

58% of participating principals want more support with student SEL, and 50% want more support with personal mental health.聽

SEL 鈥� for students and adults 鈥� continues to be a topic that matters to leaders citywide. Our PLC and Masterclass catalog for 2023-24 includes several educator-led opportunities to learn and deepen practices related to well-being.

Beyond the existing program catalog, we will bring principals together to discuss issues of trauma and loss in their personal and professional work and to build a supportive community. We plan to pilot this initiative in 2023-24.

More broadly, our educator newsletter and social media channels will include a focus on educator and student well-being in 2023-24. We will intentionally highlight proven tools, strategies, and experiences designed to improve mental health for adults and social and emotional skills for students.

Finally, we would like to thank 海角直播principals for their commitment and leadership. We remain grateful every day for all that they do, and we look forward to working with them to support their schools and communities in the year ahead.

The survey responses inform our programming and help us to be a catalyst for accelerating student learning by supporting school leaders. This year, we are excited to announce the program changes that are informed by the survey data before the start of the school year. Based on the survey responses, and discussions with members of our Educator Advisory Committee, we are:

1. Providing more support for AP professional development.

88% of participating APs want more time for professional learning and development.聽

We are investing over $1 million in our core programs for 2023-24. We aim to serve more APs through our extensive catalog of Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Our PLCs include topics exclusively for APs who are looking to move into the principal role. The semester-long PLCs offer Illinois Administrators Academy credits for free, and participants in yearlong PLCs are eligible for a continued-learning stipend.

2. Creating additional opportunities to build skills for the principalship.

51% of participating APs would pursue the principal role if their principal left tomorrow.

The survey also suggests areas in which APs want more development. In response, The Fund is offering Masterclass workshops on budgeting, entry planning, and performance evaluation. The workshops are led by expert principals. Masterclasses are open to all 海角直播APs citywide, and we encourage them to participate.

3. Investing in social and emotional learning (SEL) supports.

50% of participating APs want more support with their mental health.

SEL for both students and adults continues to be a topic that matters to school leaders across Chicago. Our PLC and Masterclass catalog for 2023-24 includes several educator-led opportunities for APs to learn and deepen practices related to well-being.

More broadly, our educator newsletter and social media channels will include a focus on educator and student well-being this year. Specifically, we will highlight proven tools, strategies, and experiences designed to improve social and emotional skills for students and mental health for adults.

We would like to once again thank Chicago鈥檚 APs for their leadership and commitment. We are grateful for all that they do every day, and we look forward to working with them in the coming academic year to support their schools and communities.