Although Erin was previously the assistant principal (AP) at Infinity, she sees the effort to revisit the mission statement as a key step in assuming leadership of the school. She frequently calls on her own past experiences as both a teacher and an AP to inform how she approaches her work, from day-to-day interactions to major strategic efforts. In that way, her principalship is a culmination of all of her previous roles.

However, only a few years ago, Walker didn鈥檛 see a principalship in her future at all. Like most 海角直播 (CPS) principals, Erin began her education career as a CPS teacher. She taught English in the district for about 16 years, and she had every expectation that she would continue growing in that role. 鈥淚 loved teaching,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 never thought I would leave the classroom.鈥� However, when an opportunity to serve as the coordinator of another high school鈥檚 International Baccalaureate program opened up, she decided to apply.

While Erin was not ultimately hired in that role, her resume garnered attention at other schools. Eventually, she was approached with a chance to interview for a role as AP at Infinity. Erin says she was still reluctant to move out of the classroom at that point; however, she took the interview, and when she was offered the job, she wanted to give it a shot.

Erin was unsure how well she would adapt to a new role in school administration. This uncertainty was amplified by her move to an entirely different school in a new neighborhood. She was initially worried that her lack of knowledge of Spanish would be an issue in a school where, according to her, a majority of students and staff are fluent in the language. However, she soon found that her enthusiasm for education followed her wherever she went: 鈥淜ids are kids,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e what make my job fulfilling, no matter what that job is.鈥�

Erin Walker brings her 16 years of classroom experience into her role as a principal.

As she settled into her new role as AP, Erin applied lessons she had learned in her many years in the classroom. Chief among the qualities she brought with her to the role was resilience, and the sense that 鈥渆verything is 鈥榝igure-out-able,鈥欌�� as she puts it. 鈥淛ust like in the classroom, you have to have a sense of humor in this job, and you have to be patient, but no problem is insurmountable. So much of the job is listening and helping teachers work these issues out.鈥�

As an AP at Infinity for about 7 1/2 years, Erin became comfortable with the structures and processes of the school. During this time, her principal helped her build some of the skills she would need to eventually take on the top role. Last year, the principalship at Infinity opened up, and her familiarity with the school, her involvement in developing its structures and procedures, and her strong relationships with the staff made her the obvious choice for promotion to that role.聽

The transition from classroom to principalship hasn鈥檛 always been what Erin expected. 鈥淲hen I was a teacher, I thought being the principal was easy,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淵ou just get to sit at your desk the whole day.鈥� Now, she says, while she doesn鈥檛 discount the difficulty of leading a classroom, she has experience with the challenges of school leadership as well. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a different kind of hard.鈥�

Even the jump from AP to principal carries new responsibilities, Erin says. As she puts it, 鈥淥ften the AP is the 鈥榞ood cop,鈥� and the principal is the 鈥榖ad cop,鈥� meaning that the responsibility for making the hard choices ultimately rests with me.鈥� Fortunately, she identified a leader on Infinity鈥檚 teaching staff to serve as her AP, and hopes to develop his skills in the same way her predecessor developed hers.

Every day, Erin brings her memories of being a classroom teacher with her through Infinity鈥檚 front doors. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e working with teachers, you can鈥檛 forget what it鈥檚 like to be a teacher,鈥� she stresses. 鈥淵ou have to remember that some days are hard, and some days are better than others. Through it all, you have to keep your focus on the students.鈥�

Her classroom days also inform Erin鈥檚 approach to leadership. 鈥淲hen you鈥檝e been a teacher, you know that as a principal, you can鈥檛 micromanage everything; you have to let teachers make their own decisions,鈥� she shares. Erin sees her strength in distributed leadership 鈥� in recognizing talent in her staff and building on their strengths. 鈥淵ou have to hire people who are smarter than you, honestly, and empower them to create their own vision that鈥檚 in alignment with the school鈥檚 vision.鈥�

Refining that school vision has been a focus for Erin as she began to think about what her principalship would look like at Infinity. As she wrapped up her first year in the role, she realized that she had an opportunity to involve all stakeholders 鈥� staff, students, and community 鈥� in laying out a vision for the whole school. That work culminated in a powerful statement: The school would cultivate 鈥渁n empowered community of inspired innovators who actively contribute to positive change in society through becoming active and socially responsible leaders; excelling in post-secondary endeavors; and navigating the evolving fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math.鈥�

That vision comes through in the opportunities Infinity offers for its students. The school has long had a strong focus on STEM, and recently added an 鈥渆arly college鈥� designation, providing the ability for students to graduate with an associate鈥檚 degree from the City Colleges of Chicago. This is a selling point for the community, but Erin, her inner teacher shining through once again, naturally focuses on what it means for the kids: 鈥淚 knew that no matter what, we had to put students at the front of everything we want to do here at Infinity.鈥澛�

The first time Moran stepped foot in a K-12 school, she was an undocumented immigrant learning English as a second language. Like some of her students, Moran had obstacles in her life and schooling after leaving her home country of Honduras at a very young age. Decades later, after the mentorship of many passionate educators and inspiring figures, Moran began a career in education.

鈥淚t came full circle when I ended up working in Cambodia,鈥� Moran said. There, she spent time in a school whose mission was to prepare students to attend college abroad in order to come back and contribute to their country. 鈥淪o I was working with an entire school population of ESL (English as a second language) students. It really tested me.鈥�

When Moran returned to the United States, she worked for several schools in Philadelphia. Then, in 2015, she followed her heart back to Chicago, becoming a bilingual instructor to help other non-native English speakers. She served under Principal Raquel Saucedo at Chase Elementary, whose mentorship accelerated her development as an educator and leader 鈥� and then she set her eyes on Schurz.

With its brick exterior and floor-to-ceiling windows, the Schurz campus was designated a 海角直播Landmark in 1979 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011. Moran draws parallels between her life and that of the high school鈥檚 namesake, Carl Schurz, an immigrant who fled to America after participating in a failed revolution for democracy in Germany. He was an avid abolitionist and quickly involved himself in politics, becoming the first German-born American elected to the U.S. Senate. His story 鈥� an immigrant persevering to achieve success in America, paving the way for other immigrants, and using his influence to help the poor and the oppressed 鈥� drives and inspires Moran to this day.

As an AP, Moran was nominated by her mentor and then-Schurz Principal Anthony Rodriguez to participate in The Fund鈥檚 Leadership Bridge program, which supports the development and career growth of APs so that they are equipped to assume principalship as quickly as possible. The program contributes to The Fund鈥檚 海角直播Leads goal of diversifying and strengthening the principal pipeline for 海角直播.

鈥淟eadership Bridge provided me with invaluable resources and experienced leadership mentors to prepare for a smooth and strong transition from AP to principal,鈥� Moran said of the program.

She accomplished much in her first year of leading Schurz High School, too, especially in the dual-language program that has helped newcomer students. It now offers even more options to English language learners.

鈥淓veryone is going to soar this year,鈥� John C. Haines Elementary School Principal Catherine 鈥淎my鈥� Moy-Davis said when we interviewed her prior to the start of the 2022-23 school year. She wears her passion and excitement for her community on her sleeve. 鈥淚鈥檓 using the word 鈥榮oar.鈥� I used to say everyone was 鈥榞oing to make it.鈥� But I think the students at Haines soar.鈥�

Born and raised in Chinatown, Amy attended Whitney M. Young Magnet High School and knew early on that she wanted to pursue a career in education. With less than 10 Asian principals working in the 海角直播 (CPS) system, she stresses the significance of being a role model for kids that look like and can relate to her; 84% of Haines students identify as Asian American.

This school has borne the brunt of some unique challenges in recent years. Just 10% of students returned to Haines in fall 2020, one of the lowest return rates in CPS. In response, Amy modified the school environment, prioritizing safety measures and accessibility to address parental concerns. This included regular virtual meetings to help parents with technical issues as classrooms incorporated new technology. Additionally, she ensured that all relevant documents were on the school鈥檚 website 鈥� and that all updates were translated in Chinese for the sake of bilingual and immigrant families 鈥� in order to more easily handle the confusion of the ever-adapting curriculum.

At the same time, Haines鈥� school community experienced xenophobia and racism, mirroring national trends amid the COVID-19 pandemic. For Amy, anti-Asian sentiment was not just an out-of-school issue. To support the community, she hosted monthly virtual chats with Haines families to hear their concerns and to coach them through the uncertain times. These included discussions of the unique trauma that Haines students were being put through and how parents could navigate those conversations with their children.

Prioritizing the mental health of her students and teachers alike, Amy is also partnering with the Midwest Asian Health Association (MAHA), Project Vision, and Communities in Schools of 海角直播in the 2022-23 academic year. These organizations are facilitating dialogues, providing resources, and creating a system of mental support at Haines for all those affected by the past few tumultuous years.

Attendance at Haines has increased this school year, and Amy attributes that in part to these investments in student and family mental health. She said that she hopes this will increase parental awareness and trust, in addition to academic performance as students learn more emotional self-regulation, empathy, coping strategies, and problem-solving skills.