��ֱ��

Foundational Assistant Principals: Resources for Successful Leadership in All CPS Schools

Communications — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 20:07:26 +0000

Thomas A. Hendricks Elementary Community Academy is a neighborhood school serving 230 students in Fuller Park on Chicago’s South Side. Before the 2024-25 school year, Hendricks’ relatively small size meant that Principal Anika Murphy generally didn’t have room in her budget to hire an assistant principal. Anika took pride in focusing on the student experience and the support her team gave her, but she recognized that being the sole administrator in the building was spreading her too thin. “Everything had to be done, no matter the size of the school, and it takes a toll on you,” she shared.

Assistant principals play an important role in ��ֱ�� (CPS) and are valuable to schools of all types. These leaders help share the administrative responsibilities of running a school, serve as valuable confidants to principals who would otherwise feel alone in their roles, and — in many cases — step into their principals’ shoes when they retire or move to another role. From 2016-17 through 2022-23, 155 of the 453 new principals selected in CPS (34%) were assistant principals promoted within the same school.

Because we see the value assistant principals offer to schools, The ��ֱ��Principals and Administrators Association (CPAA) and The ��ֱ�� have long advocated for every school to have the option and financial flexibility to have at least one assistant principal. Using local and state data, and direct testimony from CPS principals, both of our organizations stressed to CPS the positive impact assistant principals have on schools and their vital role in improving principal satisfaction and retention.

For 2024-25, CPS developed a new budget framework that identifies a base level of resources for all schools, regardless of enrollment. Critically, an assistant principal position was included in this resource base. This means that every school in the district has the ability to have an assistant principal (through what is called “foundational” funding) rather than having to divert money from other priorities in their budgets. As a result, the number of assistant principals in district-operated schools climbed to 651 in 2024-25, up from 618 in 2023-24 and 612 in 2022-23. A number of schools, including Hendricks Elementary, were able to hire assistant principals for the first time in several years.

Source: ��ֱ��; Employee Position Files, March 31

Upon learning she could hire an assistant principal, Anika set high expectations for the position. She was looking for “a partner for the work, someone willing to take on responsibility and hit the ground running, and someone who complements [her] traits.” Anika had trouble finding a candidate who met this high bar and fit with her leadership style, until Robin Tolbert’s application hit her desk. With over 20 years of experience as a classroom teacher and interventionist, Robin wasn’t initially sure that being an assistant principal was the right fit for her. However, when she interviewed for the job at Hendricks, she felt an immediate connection with Anika and the school and accepted the position.

Robin immediately jumped in and supported Anika’s instructional leadership in the school while beginning to build relationships with the faculty and students. “In my last school, I was there for 20 years, so that trust builds naturally over time,” Robin said. “Beginning to build those relationships was the No. 1 thing I wanted to focus on this year, so I could start to make an impact.” Anika strongly agrees that Robin is an excellent fit for Hendricks: “This was a match made in heaven. Robin checked all the boxes.”

Across Chicago, public schools like Hendricks have proven the utility of assistant principals, regardless of their student enrollment. “Even at a small school, there’s still always something else that has to be taken care of,” Robin said. Anika agreed: “Having Robin this year made me think, ‘you were doing this all by yourself?’”

Even putting aside the actual workload, principals benefit from another administrator as a thought partner and confidant. “This can be a very lonely job,” Anika shared. “Many aspects of my job are not things I can talk to somebody else about. Having a partner, someone to talk about what’s going on, is so important.”

As CPS faces a potential 2026 budget deficit of over half a billion dollars, many recent district investments could be at risk to balance the books. For many smaller schools like Hendricks, the foundational assistant principal position is integral for leaders needing extra support. Many principals believe ending central funding for assistant principals would severely harm their schools. Anika worries about what priorities would suffer if she didn’t have Robin’s support: “A lot of things fell off the table when I was by myself. This position needs to be here to stay.”

The article was developed in partnership with CPAA. It is also available on .

For another example of the importance of assistant principals in CPS, read “Why Every School Needs an Assistant Principal: Danielle Pearse Is a Partner in Leadership,” also on our blog.

Listening First: How Kathleen Hurley Leads With Student Voice

Communications — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 16:11:26 +0000

“What do the kids think?” This simple question guides Assistant Principal Kathleen Hurley at Peterson Elementary in Chicago’s North Park neighborhood. She believes that student ideas and needs should drive school decisions — especially when it comes to creating a supportive, inclusive learning environment.

Growing up in a rural southeast Ohio community, Kathleen was raised by two lifelong educators. “School just feels like home to me,” she shares. Somewhat surprisingly, though, her plan in college wasn’t 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 ��ֱ��— at Peterson Elementary. That was nearly 11 years ago, and she has never left.

From her early days teaching STEM — at the time a K-8 program with no curriculum, which she helped lift off the ground — to her current role as assistant principal, Kathleen has always considered Peterson more than just her school — it is her professional home. “Peterson is the most special school in all of [��ֱ��],” she says. “We 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.”

Kathleen’s work centers on students’ 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. “We have teachers committed to making student voice committees happen and leading kids through the design process to figure out what they want to do,” 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’s Culture and Climate Team empowered them to research, design, and roll out the new norms. They surveyed peers, collected feedback, and created hallway posters — 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’s principal, Yalil Nieves. “She’s such a phenomenal mentor,” Kathleen says. “She lets me learn right alongside her.” At the same time, Kathleen is trying to overcome her humility as she prepares to take her leadership to the next level. “Something I’m working on as I prepare for the principal eligibility process is saying, ‘I did this,’ instead of just crediting the team or students,” she says.

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

Regardless of her future, Kathleen’s leadership philosophy will remain rooted in a deep belief in students — their voices, their power, and their potential. “I believe that has to drive everything we do,” she says. At Peterson, it does.

Using Design Thinking to Drive Belonging: Verneisha Gair Leads an Inclusivity Framework at Jones College Prep

The Fund — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 16:48:41 +0000

A ��ֱ�� alum, Verneisha Gair is proud to have taken the role of assistant principal at Jones College Prep in 2024. She grew up in a family that valued education, and her perspective was shaped by conversations with grandparents who, despite being denied educational opportunities, instilled in her a deep belief in the transformative power of learning.

After earning a biology degree, Verneisha felt drawn back to her original dream — education. Her early teaching experience at Austin High School was eye-opening. She had expected that all public high schools in ��ֱ��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.

“I thought I was walking into a system where every student had the same shot,” she recalls. “But the inequities were real — and deeply personal to me.”

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.

“There’s a misconception that because we’re a selective enrollment school, our students don’t need additional supports. That’s simply not true,” she explains. “In reality, families with means often access these supports outside of school. My goal is to ensure every student, regardless of socioeconomic status, has access.”

Assistant Principal Verneisha Gair at Jones College Prep, 2025.

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

Students didn’t discuss curriculum or teaching styles. Instead, they shared stories of feeling out of place — experiences related to socioeconomic status, cultural differences, and a lack of representation.

“They 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,” Verneisha shared. “That’s when we realized that the core challenge was building a sense of belonging.”

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

This project reflects Verneisha’s philosophy as a leader. “My leadership style is relationship-based,” she says. “It’s about treating people with respect, listening deeply, and leading with a vision for equitable access so students can self-actualize.”

Verneisha’s transformative work at Jones shows how assistant principals work hard to improve students’ educational experiences — 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. “We’re doing deep, adaptive work every day,” she says. “We may not be the principal, but our touchpoints are everywhere — academic systems, student well-being, culture-building. We’re architects of experience.”

Why Every School Needs an Assistant Principal: Danielle Pearse Is a Partner in Leadership

The Fund — Wed, 09 Apr 2025 15:40:39 +0000

Every school deserves strong leadership, but ensuring staff and students have what they need to succeed is difficult to do alone. That is why assistant principals are essential in schools across Chicago. They are the behind-the-scenes strategists, the culture keepers, the connectors, and the champions of students and staff. Danielle Pearse is an assistant principal who exemplifies the value, heart, and hard work of the role.

Danielle didn’t set out to be an assistant principal, though. She didn’t even plan on becoming an educator. In college, she was on a pre-med track, convinced that saving lives meant becoming a doctor. But as her passion shifted, a tutoring job at her old middle school sparked a realization: her passion was for education.

“I fell in love with the lightbulb moment when students finally get something,” she said. “One student changed my life — I still tell her that.”

After nearly a decade as a biology teacher at Walt Disney Magnet School, Danielle had no plans to leave the classroom. “I was that teacher who said, ‘Nope. I’m a lifer. I’m never going into administration.’” But her then-assistant principal, Dr. Anna Vilchez — who is now principal at Steinmetz College Prep — saw something in her. And like all great leaders do, she pushed Danielle to grow.

The result? Danielle returned to school, earned the necessary credentials, and now serves as an assistant principal at Steinmetz, where she leads with vision, equity, and purpose.

Danielle acknowledges the importance of her role: “You can’t run a school alone — and you shouldn’t have to.” She knows firsthand how much happens behind the scenes in a school, much of it invisible to students and teachers. “When I was a teacher, I’d be like, ‘Where’s our [assistant principal]?’ Now I know. They’re putting out fires all day, and then going home to do all the work they didn’t get to during the day.”

Danielle’s relationship with Anna is built on mutual trust and shared purpose. “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for her. I’m her person. If she calls at 9 p.m., I’m there. If she needs something at 4 a.m., I’ll answer.”

But her role is more than problem-solving; it’s a partnership. “Even if it’s just someone saying, ‘I got you,’ leadership is not work you can do alone. Every school — every student — deserves more than one person holding the weight.” Danielle is that person: the one who holds systems together and holds the staff accountable for doing what is best for kids.

As both an assistant principal and school programmer, Danielle is focused on creating equitable outcomes for every student, particularly English learners, students with disabilities, and students from historically underserved groups. “We don’t program for teachers. We program for students. That has to be the starting point,” she says.

Accordingly, Danielle leads data-informed conversations, partners with teams across the school, and ensures that the schedule opens doors instead of closing them. Danielle has regular “rigor walks” with her leadership team to calibrate what excellent, equitable instruction should look like in every classroom.

Though she understands the importance of her role, Danielle plans to become a principal one day — but she’s in no rush. “There’s still so much to learn. I want to be ready when the right opportunity comes.”

Anna is helping her to prepare for that by holding her to her growth goals and pushing her out of her comfort zone. “She’ll even call me out on my facial expressions in meetings!” Danielle laughed. “She pushes me to align my words, my actions, even my nonverbals with who I want to be as a leader.”

And when that opportunity comes and Danielle leads her own school, she knows that she will want a partner to support her. “Because every school should have an [assistant principal],” she says. “Always.”

For another example of why all of Chicago’s public schools need an assistant principal, read “Foundational Assistant Principals: Resources for Successful Leadership in All CPS Schools,” also on our blog.

The Many Hats of an Assistant Principal: Dr. Nicole Luke’s Leadership at Lindblom

The Fund — Mon, 07 Apr 2025 18:09:31 +0000

“Assistant principals are the co-pilots of the school,” says Dr. Nicole Luke. At Lindblom Math and Science Academy in Chicago’s West Englewood neighborhood, she wears many hats — each one with purpose. Whether she’s celebrating student wins, coaching teachers, leading equity spaces, or supporting her principal’s mission, she embodies the kind of steady, visionary leadership that keeps a school thriving.

Now in her first year as assistant principal at Lindblom — and with five years of administration experience in ��ֱ�� — Nicole brings her deep commitment to equity, leadership, and learning to every layer of her role.

Hat #1: The Instructional Leader

Before becoming an administrator, Nicole taught high school history for eight years in charter and public schools. “I enjoyed providing students with relevant and culturally responsive education,” she says.

Her love for teaching grew naturally into a passion for leadership. As a teacher, she was a tenth-grade-level lead and U.S. history course team lead, which allowed her to help colleagues solve problems and strengthen school-wide practices.

As an assistant principal, she supports instruction by working directly with teacher teams, overseeing departments, and managing day-to-day operations. “I want to be a collaborator — a co-laborer — with teachers to develop solutions,” Nicole explains. “We meet regularly, set goals, and when something unexpected comes up, I’m often the person who can jump in and solve it on the spot.”

Hat #2: The Student Advocate

Nicole is committed to being present for students, too, whether in the hallways, in classrooms, or in their celebrations. “I pride myself on being accessible and available. Actually, yesterday a student said, ‘I see you everywhere.’ I said, ‘Yes, that’s my goal.’”

She supports the seventh- and eighth-grade teams and is intentional about uplifting both academic and social-emotional success. At Lindblom, the school’s guide how students are encouraged to engage in the school community, and Nicole helps lead the effort to recognize and celebrate students who embody those values. “We’ve been having student celebrations — recognizing students who exhibit ‘Be’lief pillar traits, as well as students who make [the] honor roll.”

She also builds strong family partnerships by helping to host virtual town halls and maintaining open lines of communication with parents.

Hat #3: The Staff Coach & Culture Builder

Nicole considers herself a partner in her colleagues’ professional growth. She regularly meets with teacher leaders and grade-level leads to set goals, work through challenges, and provide support. “Seeing them set goals for themselves and have aspirations toward improving student outcomes” is a huge benefit of being an assistant principal, she says.

She emphasizes the importance of being a good listener, especially when it comes to supporting teachers. “I want to hear what their aspirations are, what their struggles are — for their department, for their students.” She adds that “being a good listener and being empathetic — those are qualities that make good assistant principals, and they’re qualities you can build before even stepping into the role.”

Whether she’s problem-solving in the moment or planning for her teachers’ long-term development, Nicole is focused on building a strong, healthy staff culture that centers students.

Nicole Luke in 2022, when she was an assistant principal at North-Grand High School. Read more about her work there in our report Emerging Innovation in ��ֱ��.

Hat #4: The Vision Partner

Nicole is fully aligned with her principal’s vision and believes that strong alignment between leaders is essential. “I am 100% bought in and supportive,” she says, referring to Principal Starlet Banks, who is also in her first year at Lindblom. “I make sure that I’m enacting [her] vision with the teams I lead and the teachers I support.”

She sees her role as helping to operationalize big-picture ideas and making sure the school’s direction is felt at every level. “The principal is the visionary, and we [assistant principals] are the ones who ensure that the rubber meets the road — that vision is actually brought into fruition.”

Her connection with the administrative team has been a highlight of her time as a leader at Lindblom. “We collaborate so well together,” she says of Starlet as well as fellow Assistant Principal Adrienne Morales and Assistant Principal Michael Meadows.

And their leadership extends beyond their work — it’s about care, too. “We also just provide emotional and spiritual support for each other. It really means a lot when you work alongside someone who is aligned . . . and we care about each other as full human beings, not just colleagues.”

For Nicole, this moment in her career is about what she calls “reblooming Lindblom.” “[It] was always an amazing school — we’re just ensuring that the amazingness happening inside the school is promoted outside the school as well.”

Hat #5: The Community Builder

Outside of Lindblom, Nicole co-leads ��ֱ��’ Black Affinity Group. It is an initiative to help Black educators build community and grow in leadership. “The space really gave us a chance to be in community with Black educators across the district — to process, share resources, and work through challenges together.”

She co-leads the group with Principal Dr. Samuel Davis, a fellow member of her doctoral cohort at the University of Illinois Chicago. Their shared vision is about growing leadership in each other. “We talk a lot about building human capacity — finding opportunities to promote from within and give people space to lead.” Nicole believes that assistant principals are essential — not only for keeping schools running smoothly but also for ensuring a strong pipeline of principals. “We’re the link in the pipeline of building up more leadership in the district,” she says.

This work brings Nicole full circle. As a high school student, she received the Golden Apple scholarship. “It gave me financial support, but also built my first professional network. That’s where I started to see what was possible.” And now, she’s creating that same kind of space for others. “Pouring into educators so they can go back and create these spaces in their own schools — that’s what impacts student success.”

Through every hat she wears, Nicole Luke proves that assistant principals don’t just support a school. They help shape its future.

Principals and Assistant Principals Provide Recommendations to CPS Budget Office

Communications — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 18:01:50 +0000

Principals in ��ֱ�� (CPS) have long enjoyed a great degree of autonomy over the budgets of their individual schools. This means that when the district makes a major shift in the budget process — such as last year’s move from a student-based budgeting model to one providing a higher base level of resources to all schools — principal feedback is essential to ensuring the continued success of the new process. With year two of the new budget framework fast approaching, our Educator Advisory Committee (EAC) provided one way to gather and relay that feedback.

The EAC is a group of around 30 principals and assistant principals (APs) that we convene throughout each school year. They provide feedback on the work we do to support their fellow school leaders. For the first time, the members of last year’s EAC used their shared experiences to generate recommendations for policy changes to address staff shortages in CPS. The shift away from student-based budgeting provided a relevant topic for the second year of the EAC’s policy work.

This year, the EAC had the advantage of the prior year’s experience with its policy development process, allowing the group to start its work more quickly. However, with CPS’ budget office already working on putting together next year’s school budgets, the window for having the EAC’s recommendations taken into account for the coming year’s budget process was short. To meet this timeline, the EAC condensed its process into just a few months, with the goal of presenting a completed memo listing its recommendations to CPS leadership in early March.

As they did in 2024, EAC members began the process by sharing their experiences, detailing the high and low points of their work with the new budget framework. These conversations revealed unfamiliarity and frustration with certain aspects of the CPS’ budget framework, leading to recommendations that focused on transparency and flexibility around foundation positions (those that are funded by the district for every school) and the Opportunity Index (a formula that directs resources to schools that are the furthest from opportunity). Through a number of conversations, we and EAC members refined their recommendations into a memo, which we shared with the CPS Office of Finance.

For its March 6 session, the EAC welcomed CPS Chief Budget Officer Michael Sitkowski, along with staff from the Office of Finance, to present their budget memo and engage in conversation with the district’s budget leaders. The EAC’s co-chairs, along with other members, supported their presentation by providing context from their own schools, sharing the experiences that led to the recommendations. CPS staff provided more detail on aspects of the district’s budget process and expressed appreciation for the recommendations to ensure principals are more involved in developing this process.

The EAC members at this session found it to be a valuable experience. The principals and APs shared that, while the upcoming budget season will still be challenging, they appreciated the opportunity to meet with district leaders and share their experiences directly. The EAC will continue to support CPS through the budget process by providing dedicated sessions for sharing effective budgeting practices in the coming months.

The EAC’s policy development process once again shows the value of elevating school leader voices — to both the school leaders themselves and to the district as a whole. In a system where principal autonomy has led to major advances in student achievement, it is critical to uplift the experiences of the leaders who shape student learning in over 600 school communities across Chicago.

Fund Director and Former Principal Provides Testimony on CPS 2025 Budget

Communications — Fri, 07 Mar 2025 23:09:10 +0000

The Fund’s Director of Educator Supports Mariel Laureano testified before the ��ֱ��Board of Education on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. Drawing on her experience as a former ��ֱ�� (CPS) principal, she emphasized the risks associated with the district reimbursing the city of ��ֱ��for the latest payment to the Municipal Employees Annuity and Benefit Fund, the pension fund for qualified employees of the city of ��ֱ��and the ��ֱ��Board of Education. She stressed the importance of the school district prioritizing spending on resources for school leaders, teachers, and students. The video of her testimony is below, followed by a transcript.

Testimony Delivered to the ��ֱ��Board of Education on March 5, 2025

Good morning.

I am Mariel Laureano, a director at The ��ֱ��, an organization that provides leadership development programming to over 350 ��ֱ��school leaders.

As a former principal, I know firsthand the importance, responsibility, and challenges of managing a school budget.

This is a difficult task in a district that is only funded at 79% adequacy — 79% adequacy!

And yet, this board is being asked to approve a $175 million pension payment that CPS is not legally obligated to pay. That one choice will prevent CPS from having enough revenue to cover the new teacher’s contract. We understand that borrowing now is not an option.

I served through CPS’ last financial crisis. For 10 years, I led Prieto Math and Science Academy, a dual-language neighborhood elementary school in Belmont Cragin. Between 2014 and 2017, CPS ran consecutive budget deficits of over $1 billion — just like the projected shortfalls in CPS’ five-year outlook today.

I saw firsthand what that meant in schools like mine: impactful staff cuts, loss of student supports, and frustrated parents.

If you choose to make this payment, CPS’ only way forward for next year’s budget is to borrow again. Please don’t take that risk. Instead, prioritize the needs of school communities.

Use CPS’s revenue for labor agreements for teachers and principals.

Do what’s right for principals. For teachers. And, most importantly, for students.

When it comes before you, we encourage you, vote no on this unnecessary pension reimbursement.

Thank you.

The ��ֱ�� Announces the Appointment of Three New Board Members

Communications — Thu, 16 Jan 2025 15:29:23 +0000

The Three Directors Will Join the Board in Providing Insight and Expertise to Guide the Education Nonprofit

January 16, 2025

CHICAGO — The ��ֱ�� (The Fund) today announced that Sheri Hawkins of Northern Trust, Lauren Patnaude of BDT & MSD Partners, and Mark Rodriguez of the Lohengrin Foundation have joined other business, civic, and philanthropic leaders on its Board of Directors.

All three bring unique perspectives and experiences to The Fund’s Board that will advance its mission of ensuring every ��ֱ��public school has a high-quality principal. As an advocate for education, Hawkins is deeply interested in The Fund’s work and will continue the organization’s longstanding relationship with Northern Trust, previously represented by Board member Kim Evans. As a partner at BDT & MSD, Patnaude brings a strategic lens to supporting The Fund’s work and a passion for improving educational outcomes. Rodriguez’s experience as the CEO of the Lohengrin Foundation brings deep knowledge of the ��ֱ��education and nonprofit sectors that will support The Fund’s work in the broader space. Patnaude and Rodriguez also both have experience serving on The Fund’s Leadership Council that they will leverage in their new roles.

“We are incredibly proud and excited to welcome Lauren, Mark, and Sheri to our Board of Directors,” President and CEO Dr. Heather Anichini said. “They are all deeply committed to our mission, and we look forward to their perspectives and expertise as we continue to make ��ֱ��the best city in the country to lead a public school.”

The Fund’s Board, which now comprises 23 members, is deeply involved at every stage of the organization’s work — from developing the programs it provides for school leaders to the data it collects and analyzes to the education policy issues with which it engages. Fund Directors put their time and resources into the belief that strategic investments can positively impact outcomes for students in Chicago’s public schools.

Sheri Hawkins is executive vice president and head of Investment Platform Services with Northern Trust Asset Management. She is responsible for investment governance and leads four of the firm’s investment teams, including its Sustainable Investing and Stewardship efforts. Hawkins has also served as global head of product and asset management chief financial officer. Sheri is a CFA® charterholder, received a B.B.A in finance from the University of Notre Dame and an M.S. in financial markets and trading from Illinois Institute of Technology’s Stuart School of Business.

“As a proud product of ��ֱ�� elementary education, I am both humbled and excited to serve on The ��ֱ��’s Board,” said Hawkins. “The Fund’s unwavering commitment to investing in the talented educators who lead our schools is essential to unlocking brighter futures for all ��ֱ��students, and I look forward to contributing to this vital work.”

Lauren Patnaude is a partner at BDT & MSD, responsible for the execution of both investments and advisory assignments. Her previous experience includes corporate strategy at The Boston Consulting Group and investment banking at Goldman Sachs, and she began her career at UBS. Patnaude is a director of Balcan Innovations, a Board member of the Pulitzer Center and the Yale College Alumni Fund, and a member of the Steering Committee for the ��ֱ��chapter of WiMA, a national network for women in M&A. Lauren received a B.A. in economics and history from Yale University and an MBA from The University of ��ֱ��Booth School of Business.

“I am honored to support The ��ֱ�� and its important work in enhancing educational outcomes in Chicago’s public schools through investing in strong leadership,” said Patnaude. “The Fund’s focus on leadership has an incredible amplifying effect on improving student outcomes across the city, and I look forward to partnering with this impressive Board to continue advancing this mission.”

Mark Rodriguez serves as the CEO of the Lohengrin Foundation. He leads the Foundation’s overall grantmaking strategy and directly guides its efforts to support School Leadership and Learning funding initiatives in ��ֱ��and Boston. Prior to this role, he served as the chief operating officer for Heartland Alliance International. Earlier in his career, Mark was also instrumental in supporting the launch and development of the New Leaders principal fellowship program in ��ֱ��and nationally. Mark graduated from Roosevelt University with a Bachelor of Arts in communications and holds advanced certifications in philanthropy management from Loyola University, nonprofit management and human resources from Roosevelt University, and education and literacy best practices from National Louis University.

“I’m delighted to join the Board of The ��ֱ�� and deepen our focus on supporting school leaders to strengthen academic outcomes for all students,” Rodriguez said. “The Fund’s impactful history, use of data, and collaborative approach to supporting and strengthening school leaders is impressive and a guiding light to ensuring every ��ֱ��student can reach high levels of academic and personal success.”

###

About The ��ֱ��

The ��ֱ�� (The Fund) is a nonprofit organization that improves Chicago’s public schools by investing in the talented educators who lead them. The Fund is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2025, underscoring its enduring commitment to collaborating with partners across Chicago’s education sector to redefine school leadership in the city.

For media requests, please use our contact form.

The ��ֱ�� Announces New COO

Communications — Wed, 08 Jan 2025 22:07:16 +0000

Nonprofit Leader Geoffrey Nagle Brings Extensive Experience to Strong, Mission-Driven Education Organization

January 8, 2025

CHICAGO — The ��ֱ�� (The Fund) today announced that longtime nonprofit leader Geoffrey Nagle started as the organization’s new chief operating officer on January 1, 2025. He will advance The Fund’s organizational priorities, including fundraising and culture goals.

“I am incredibly excited to join an organization that has been devoted to improving public education in ��ֱ��for 25 years,” Dr. Nagle said. “I look forward to working with The Fund’s passionate and innovative team as we support principals across the city.”

Dr. Nagle’s previous experience as the CEO of the Erikson Institute makes him uniquely qualified to work with the organization and its partners. Erikson is a nationally respected leader in early childhood development and education, focused on preparing professionals and conducting research to improve outcomes for young children and their families. Under Dr. Nagle’s leadership, Erikson bridged gaps in early childhood development by uniting data, policy, and practice, similar to The Fund’s approach to PreK-12 public education in Chicago.

Many leaders in the education sector know and trust Dr. Nagle as a senior executive and policy expert. He also brings experience that will strengthen and unify The Fund’s human resources, operations, fundraising, and finance work, building on the robust operational backbone that has supported the organization’s mission-driven work over the past several years.

“We are delighted to welcome Geoff and value the strengths he will bring to The Fund’s team,” CEO Dr. Heather Anichini said. “His experience in nonprofit leadership will support the organization as we pursue our ambitious goals to support Chicago’s school leaders in our 25th year.”

Dr. Nagle joins a robust senior leadership team, including Chief Public Affairs Officer Nelson Gerew, who has supported the organization’s mission throughout his 15-year career at The Fund; Director of Partnership and Innovation Julie Burnett, a former senior director of education policy in the ��ֱ��Mayor’s Office; and Director of Educator Supports Mariel Laureano, a former CPS principal and a chief education officer in the charter school sector.

Before leading the Erikson Institute, Dr. Nagle was an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Tulane University. He received his bachelor’s in political science from Duke University, his master’s in public health and social work, and a doctorate in mental health policy research from Tulane University.

###

About The ��ֱ��

For media requests, please use our contact form.

The ��ֱ�� Urges School Board to Postpone Changes in CPS Leadership

Communications — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 22:18:54 +0000

The Nonprofit Strongly Recommends More Transparency, Stakeholder Input, and Communication in Decision That Affects 600+ ��ֱ��

December 19, 2024

CHICAGO — At The Fund, we frequently support school-level transitions when principals step out of their roles. This process takes time, deliberate planning, and extensive communication with the impacted communities. We invest the time and energy required to facilitate those transitions because when they are not planned well, leadership changes can . These negative effects can last for over two years after the transition.

Leadership change at the top of a school district impacts all students, schools, and communities in that system. That is why, over the last several months, hundreds of school leaders have expressed their reservations with a leadership transition at this time. The 320,000 students in ��ֱ�� (CPS) deserve a thoughtful, well-planned, and well-communicated transition. That cannot happen in a situation where meetings are called with little notice and in ways that make communication with affected communities difficult.

In the last 25 years, The Fund has supported the CPS community through 10 CEO transitions, each of which has impacted schools and school leaders. It is harder to lead in schools when a transition at the top of the system is destabilizing and distracting. Given the negative effects a decision under these circumstances could have on principals, students, and school communities, we urge the ��ֱ��Board of Education to postpone the consideration of CPS CEO Pedro Martinez’s employment status until it has engaged in a more thorough and transparent process of community engagement and stakeholder input. Students’ educational outcomes depend on this.

###

About The ��ֱ��

For media requests, please use our contact form.

����ֱ��

Foundational Assistant Principals: Resources for Successful Leadership in All CPS Schools

Listening First: How Kathleen Hurley Leads With Student Voice

Using Design Thinking to Drive Belonging: Verneisha Gair Leads an Inclusivity Framework at Jones College Prep

Why Every School Needs an Assistant Principal: Danielle Pearse Is a Partner in Leadership

The Many Hats of an Assistant Principal: Dr. Nicole Luke’s Leadership at Lindblom

Hat #1: The Instructional Leader

Hat #2: The Student Advocate

Hat #3: The Staff Coach & Culture Builder

Hat #4: The Vision Partner

Hat #5: The Community Builder

Principals and Assistant Principals Provide Recommendations to CPS Budget Office

Fund Director and Former Principal Provides Testimony on CPS 2025 Budget

Testimony Delivered to the ����ֱ��Board of Education on March 5, 2025

The ����ֱ�� Announces the Appointment of Three New Board Members

The Three Directors Will Join the Board in Providing Insight and Expertise to Guide the Education Nonprofit

About The ����ֱ��

The ����ֱ�� Announces New COO

Nonprofit Leader Geoffrey Nagle Brings Extensive Experience to Strong, Mission-Driven Education Organization

About The ����ֱ��

The ����ֱ�� Urges School Board to Postpone Changes in CPS Leadership

The Nonprofit Strongly Recommends More Transparency, Stakeholder Input, and Communication in Decision That Affects 600+ ����ֱ��

About The ����ֱ��

��ֱ��

Testimony Delivered to the ��ֱ��Board of Education on March 5, 2025

The ��ֱ�� Announces the Appointment of Three New Board Members

About The ��ֱ��

The ��ֱ�� Announces New COO

About The ��ֱ��

The ��ֱ�� Urges School Board to Postpone Changes in CPS Leadership

The Nonprofit Strongly Recommends More Transparency, Stakeholder Input, and Communication in Decision That Affects 600+ ��ֱ��

About The ��ֱ��