AP Latricia Baker-Tall has served Wendell E. Green Elementary School for nine years. Her journey from a math teacher to an impactful administrator reflects her deep-seated passion for developing teachers, supporting her principal, and meeting the needs of students through a people-centered lens. Reflecting on her leadership journey, Latricia says, 鈥淚 think I’ve always been a leader, even from childhood, and becoming an assistant principal has opened a lot of doors for new learning.鈥�

Because she steps in where needed, Latricia鈥檚 days are filled with a variety of tasks 鈥斕� from coordinating substitutes and assisting with assessment administration to bridging communication between students, teachers, and parents. Through it all, she uses her people-centered approach. Latricia uses restorative practices for student discipline issues, for example, helping students access resources to address adverse behaviors. She even transforms her office into a 鈥渂eauty shop鈥� to boost the confidence of students having a bad day.

Latricia especially prides herself in her role as a coach and instructional leader. She observes teachers and challenges them to improve their practice through new strategies. She also works hard to connect with her teachers as people first in an effort to support their growth and development. This approach shines through in her work with Green鈥檚 out-of-school-time programs, which she initially led and then trained teachers to manage.听

Notably, Latricia has also been an integral part of the Local School Council (LSC) since 2004. Working alongside Green Elementary Principal Tyrone Dowdell, she emphasizes transparency, ensuring the LSC is well-informed about the school鈥檚 Continuous Improvement Work Plan, budget and personnel changes, curriculum updates, technology needs, and events, among other matters. Her commitment has contributed to an engaged and smoothly functioning school environment for over two decades.

Through every initiative, meeting, and personal interaction, Latricia proves the indispensable value of dedicated APs in shaping schools. 鈥淭he AP role is very interesting in that it encompasses so much,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hen the principal is out of the office, I step right into the principal role. And I can honestly say it’s really beneficial when principals get along with their assistant principals. My principal has ensured that I am learning all the skills needed to be an effective leader.鈥�

Latricia exemplifies the ingenuity and commitment Chicago鈥檚 APs need to support their school communities. They work relentlessly to ensure that their principals and teachers are supported and that their students have inclusive and enriching learning environments.

Cecilia Mendoza

Cecilia Mendoza is the AP at Brighton Park Elementary, drawing on her experiences as a 海角直播 alum. A challenging chemistry class shifted her path from engineering to education and solidified her commitment to providing science instruction that speaks to all students. Beyond that, her work focuses on enhancing the experience of students and supporting bilingual families.

The Fund: Why did you decide to become an AP?

Cecilia Mendoza: I wanted to be the person who not only helped students enjoy learning but also held high expectations for all of them. This was because that was my experience as a student, where I didn’t always have the best experience in science class, especially as a Latino student on the south side of Chicago. I wanted to be someone who looked like my students so they could see that they too could achieve success. So, I started as a middle school science teacher at another school and then transferred to Brighton Park Elementary. It was the principal and assistant principal at the time who saw my leadership potential and helped me develop my skills by allowing me to join the instructional leadership team, lead our middle grades network, and even present at team meetings. These experiences made me realize that becoming an assistant principal was something I wanted to do and can do.

The Fund: Looking back on your time as an AP, what are you most proud of?

Cecilia Mendoza: One of the things that I find important in my role is being able to connect with students and their parents. It’s important for parents to feel like they can communicate with me directly, in their language without a translator. This helps them feel a sense of belonging and feel welcome at our school. And that’s definitely not something that I created;听 it was at Brighton Park before me. But I think I also embody that positivity, and it makes a difference for staff to want to work there and for students to feel safe knowing that they can trust administration and we aren鈥檛 just hidden figures in the office who discipline.听

The Fund: What advice would you give to teachers who are interested in becoming assistant principals? What do you think is most important for their success in the role?

Cecilia Mendoza: As a leader, you need to be flexible. Things are going to change in any given minute, and you just have to roll with the punches. You have to be quick in your thinking and prioritize what is most important.听

Also, we work with a lot of people, and being able to give grace is important because, at the end of the day, we鈥檙e all humans. For every decision, think about how it is going to affect the children. We鈥檙e here to serve them, but we also have to give that grace to teachers, students and parents. Being empathetic and compassionate with all stakeholders allows us the flexibility to be open-minded and make the best decisions.听

It鈥檚 only as difficult as you let it be. This position allows you to see and build relationships with all the students in your school and help them all in different ways.

The Fund: Is there anything you’d like people to know about the role of an AP that may not be obvious?

Cecilia Mendoza: It is a little lonely because as a teacher you have your co-teachers, grade level teams, and yearly set of students, but as an AP, you don鈥檛 have that. You get to build relationships with everyone in the building and you do get to meet other administrators, especially through Fund programs; you get to meet different administrators from across the city, which then opens up your lens a lot more. That鈥檚 very nice because then you hear different stories and advice from people with a bunch of different perspectives. I think that has really helped my leadership. I now have that community of people all over the city that I can go to, and I鈥檓 not just in my bubble.

Tamara Swoope

Dr. Tamara Swoope is a first-year AP at Avalon Park Elementary, a fine and performing arts school. Despite facing challenges 鈥� such as a relatively high student mobility rate, with students transferring in and out of the school 鈥� Tamara and her team remain committed to the school鈥檚 vision of developing critical thinking and problem-solving in students using research-based practices. With the mentorship of Principal Takeshi James, Tamara has been able to make a positive impact at Avalon Park Elementary. As Tamara puts it, 鈥淲hen I get on the phone, I just like to say, 鈥楬ey, Avalon Park, it’s a great place to educate.鈥欌��

The Fund: Why did you decide to become an assistant principal?

Tamara Swoope: I have about 20 years of experience as a 海角直播public school teacher. I have a passion for kids. That’s always been my number-one priority. I was just looking for ways to improve student learning, make it fun and interesting, and then support not only the academic needs of students but their psychological needs as well. And often, I’ve realized that those psychological needs and social-emotional supports outweigh the academic needs. I think about the adage that says, 鈥淏efore you can teach, you have to reach.鈥�

The Fund: Looking back on your time as an AP, what are you most proud of?

Tamara Swoope: One of the things that I’m most proud of is my growth and my development in leadership. I am a lifelong learner. I am consistently and continuously learning in this role. There is never a dull moment, from multitasking to time management, prioritizing, and delegating. It has just been a wonderful, transformative journey of learning. So, I couldn’t just name one thing I’m most proud of. It’s so many things that I’m proud of. I’ve seen my growth from day one to where we are now, in the middle of the year, kind of segueing into the end of the year. But it’s the growth and development that I’ve seen in my leadership capacity, and that growth has also extended to being able to develop leadership capacity in others.

More specifically, we have increased our attendance rate. We are up about 3% from this time last year. And I take pride in that because that is one of my babies. I own the attendance rate and the attendance team, but we are just doing some phenomenal things, and I’m excited for the trajectory we’re headed in as a school.

The Fund: What advice would you give to teachers who are interested in becoming assistant principals? What do you think is most important for their success in the role?

Tamara Swoope: Well, everybody鈥檚 going to find their niche. For me, one of the things that I found truly helpful in this role is ensuring that whatever decisions you make, they’re student-centered. Students are at the heart of those decisions.

The other thing that I value most about this role is building relationships with people within education. So, again, when making decisions, make sure that you are leading with students centered first, and then that you can build and nurture relationships with all stakeholders. This includes your staff, your parents, definitely students, and even your outside stakeholders as well. So those will be the two: building relationships and ensuring that everything you do is always student-centered.

The Fund: Is there anything you’d like people to know about the role of an AP that may not be obvious?

Tamara Swoope: It’s a lot of fun. I mean, it’s different from being in the classroom every day. It’s not that kind of fun because I enjoy being in the classroom with kids all day, every day. But it’s a lot of fun because you get to see the entire school. You get to build relationships with the engineer and the lunchroom staff. You get to know people in your building who all make a difference in the lives of our young people. But it’s really fun when you have a school as great as my school; I like to say there is an overwhelming excitement that just comes with the job, having fun with kids. And then, like they say in this profession, it keeps us young.

Chandra Garcia-Kitch鈥檚 day at William H. Ray Elementary School begins well before she arrives on campus. With 17 years invested in the Hyde Park school, she has taught everything from third grade to eighth, and the experiences she gained as a teacher helped her transition into an AP.

Chandra uses her long commute to plan the day ahead. 鈥淚 arrive around 7:15 and use that quiet [commuting] time to mentally prepare for the day鈥檚 needs,鈥� she says.

Once she arrives at school, Chandra handles administrative tasks. 鈥淭he first hour is spent helping in the office, making sure teachers have everything they need,鈥� she explains.

During the rest of the day, though, Chandra鈥檚 presence extends throughout the school: 鈥淚 review lesson plans, handle discipline for grades five through eight, and participate in half of the grade book reviews.鈥� Her rounds through the building are opportunities to connect, check on student well-being, and address immediate needs. 鈥淚 walk the halls, checking in on everyone,鈥� she says as she reflects on her daily interactions. 鈥淚t’s probably 65% students and 30% teachers.鈥�

Managing positive and productive relationships is vital to her role. Challenges are inevitable, but Chandra approaches them with empathy. 鈥淚f a teacher is frustrated,鈥� she says, 鈥淚 remind them that everyone has tough days. We just take a break and come back to it later.鈥� Whether addressing conflicts or supporting teachers with curriculum development, her focus remains on constructive outcomes and fostering a supportive learning environment. In fact, she recently led professional development for teachers to assess the data they collect, think about factors that may be driving trends, and consider how they can make classroom changes when necessary.

As the school day draws to a close, Chandra helps make sure after-school transitions go smoothly and that students get where they need to go. She organizes her workspace and takes time to reflect and provide support to teachers in the building 鈥� whether it is workshopping a challenging lesson or figuring out how to support a student in need.

Chandra鈥檚 typical day illustrates the complexity of a job that is often overlooked. She recalls having conversations in which people say, 鈥�Well, you just help the principal.鈥� But that perspective oversimplifies her intermediary role, as Chandra describes it, in which she not only supports students and teachers but also her principal. 鈥淚t’s kind of a catch-all,鈥� she says of the AP position, acknowledging the diverse responsibilities that come with it.

The five APs of Curie High School provide a perfect example of the broad range of work that their position requires. Each one brings unique strengths and approaches that make a significant impact on every aspect of Curie鈥檚 school community. From veteran leaders like Starlet Banks to new APs like Vanessa Ruiz, their dedication to Curie鈥檚 students is clear.听

Starlet Banks has worked in 海角直播 (CPS) for 21 years, seven of which she鈥檚 spent at Curie. She is a champion for inclusivity and culturally-affirming classrooms. Starlet leads initiatives that amplify student voices, particularly among Black students. 鈥淚 recognized how our African American students are minorities in this community and have thought through ways that they can be seen and heard and [that] allow them to feel like they鈥檙e more than just a number in this school community,鈥� she says. She routinely asks herself, 鈥淗ow do I create some support systems and structures for all students so that they can be successful academically?鈥� As an AP, Starlet has created such systems to ensure not just the academic but also the personal success of all students at Curie.

Jasmine Vasquez-Dorner has served Curie for 16 years, focusing on enhancing the International Baccalaureate program and promoting bilingual education. Her dedication has increased students鈥� access to rigorous academic opportunities, especially for those who are English Learners. Jasmine shared that over the past two years, she has been working on increasing opportunities for more students to join the International Baccalaureate program. She is excited about the work she has been a part of with coordinators, department chairs, and the administration team 鈥� specifically with Starlet and Alexander Kmicikewycz, a fellow Curie AP 鈥� regarding early college credits. Jasmine is thrilled to create more opportunities for students to take these classes and earn college credit in high school.

听Katie Shanovich is in her fourth year at Curie, having started her school leadership journey through the program. Before joining the administration team at Curie, she spent 16 years serving the diverse learner population as a special education teacher and case manager in Chicago; Austin, Texas; and Washington, D.C. Curie has given her the experience of leading in a large high school. During her time there, her focus has been leveraging the instructional leadership team to build the capacity of department chairs and course team leaders. Katie sees coaching and supporting teacher leaders as one of the most rewarding, impactful aspects of the assistant principal role.

Alexander Kmicikewycz, another 海角直播Leadership Collaborative alum, focuses on Career and Technical Education (CTE) and work-based learning. He has worked with teachers to significantly expand these programs, giving students opportunities to explore career paths through real-world experiences and partnerships with the community, which demonstrates his role as a community connector. 鈥淲ork-based learning was viewed as just an experience outside of school when I first joined Curie,鈥� Alexander says of this project. 鈥淎nd now, work-based learning is an integral part of instruction and the classroom experience 鈥� more students are aware of the opportunity and its benefits.鈥澨�

Vanessa Ruiz started her career as a student teacher at Curie. She went on to teach high school English for four years while also teaching at Malcolm X College. Having come full circle, she is now the newest member of Curie鈥檚 administration team. 鈥淲hat really brought me to Curie was just the vision of supporting all marginalized students,鈥� she says. Vanessa also emphasizes the importance of building trust through relationships. She currently works with Curie鈥檚 Parent Advisory Council and has been able to connect families to the school community, giving them a sense of belonging and a voice. She and the Curie team are committed to continuing 鈥渢o build those relationships so that the entire community and our entire team continue to build trust.鈥�

The collective power of Curie鈥檚 AP team is undeniable. They cultivate a vibrant, inclusive, dynamic, and rigorous learning environment for all their students. As Principal Homero Pe帽uelas puts it, 鈥淎ssistant principals are the cornerstone of educational leadership. They provide support and guidance for both students and staff while being dynamic partners to the principal, lending a helping hand when needed and complementing their leadership to ensure the success of the school.鈥�