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: 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.

I am an extremely loyal person 鈥揑 still meet with the first principal I had as a teacher in 海角直播 (CPS) to get his opinion and support. When I chose to be a principal in CPS, I knew I was committing to the job and to the district. I love being a principal here in Chicago. I not only work with a committed school community, but I also get to make decisions at my school whereas my colleagues in other districts have decisions made for them.

However, being a principal can be a lonely experience. As the leader of my school, I often navigate big decisions or complicated issues on my own, which can feel isolating and stressful.

For this reason, opportunities like the (The Fellowship) and are invaluable experiences. Each program challenges a diverse group of experienced principals to further hone their leadership skills and allows principals to develop extensive peer support networks.

The Fellowship raises the bar for school leadership. In contrast to typical professional development, which may focus mostly on our day-to-day work, the Northwestern courses engage principals in growing our overall leadership skills. We learned from CEOs leading in different industries, and we worked with executive coaches who helped us reach our leadership goals in our schools. My cohort grew very close. In fact, I still communicate with members of my cohort often 鈥� sometimes daily! Their support and friendship makes me feel part of a larger community, and I often call on them for advice around tough issues.

Building on the leadership work in The Fellowship, the Cahn Fellows Program is currently helping me further apply my learning to my work at Ebinger. Working with the Cahn Fellows Program 鈥� which included two weeks of professional learning in New York City over the summer 鈥� helped me return to school refreshed and ready to dive into a new school year. Additionally, the program structure allows me to deepen my relationship with my Assistant Principal, who is my 鈥渁lly鈥� and participates in the program with me. It has been a great asset to thought partner with someone who knows my school community, especially as I implement my capstone project. Just as in The Fellowship, Cahn Fellows is helping me to strengthen my peer network and learn from phenomenal principals in both 海角直播and New York. One of my colleagues, Chad Weiden, the principal of Edgebrook Elementary School, agreed that 鈥減eer relationships are crucial in getting that necessary informal feedback for growth and development.鈥�

Being a principal is a tough job. There have been moments when I have wondered whether I can remain a principal in Chicago. Through these fellowships I know I am not doing this difficult work alone. I feel empowered to learn from and rely on a group of talented principals whom I may not have met otherwise.

Principals need more opportunities like these fellowships that not only support principals in honing their craft but also enable them to develop strong support networks. Principals who have a community of peers who support them will grow professionally and ultimately stay in their schools. I am only one voice, but I am here for the long haul.

***

Who am I?聽 Dr. LeViis A. Haney, in my fifteenth year working with the 海角直播 (CPS).聽 I got into education because I wanted to help make school a place where students wanted to be.聽 As a former CPS student myself, the traditional educational structures did not work well for me.聽 I was not a motivated learner.聽 But I grew to love learning because of many special teachers who shaped my learning experiences to help me become a part of the learning process!

I applied for the because I wanted to be in a roomful of people that were solutions orientated.聽 People who truly believed that student learning could be transformed through innovation. used the 2015 SDP to develop a personalized professional development track for our middle school teachers.聽 Through this process, our team created their own personalized learning opportunities for the school year, and created a collaborative lesson planning protocol, which created a context for cross-curricular planning, significantly reduced the amount of teacher paperwork, and increased rigor and targeted instruction in all middle school classrooms.

Through the SDP, we were also able to work with scheduling consultant Furman Brown through whole school redesign planning sessions.聽 As a result of working with Furman, we were able to rethink our scheduling and provide a 1 hour and 45 minute daily planning block for our middle school team.聽 As a result of this increase in planning time and intentional team building sessions, our middle school team has taken over leading their weekly meetings, their instructional program is more coherent, and student success is increasing!

My SDP experience was absolutely amazing mostly because I became a learner right along with my team.聽 Instead of carrying all of the school’s problems on my back, our team truly worked together to share the problem solving load, and truly leverage our innovation to transform our school.

***

Thanks for your post, and for all you do for Chicago鈥檚 children, Dr. Haney!

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