Chicago Collaborative

Shyla serves as the founding Program Director for Leading Educators’ Chicago Collaborative. This innovative project is funded by federal Investing in Innovation funds (i3).

Prior to joining Leading Educators, Shyla was a Curriculum Designer and School Designer for EL Education. Before joining EL Education, Shyla was the Dean of Culture and a founding Kindergarten teacher at KIPP Infinity Elementary School in Harlem, NY. Her educational career started in the Bronx as a 2nd and 3rd grade bilingual teacher through Teach for America.

Shyla received her B.A. in Spanish and Political Science from the University of Michigan and an M.S.T in Bilingual Elementary Education from Pace University.

Debbie is responsible for planning and executing all Chicago-based programming, including project management and event planning.

Before joining Leading Educators, Debbie worked on the Compliance and Student Information teams at KIPP DC Public Charter School as the Senior Operations Manager. She helped open the Diverse Learners program, led strategy and operations for the yearly enrollment audit and PARCC testing, and supported the onboarding and support for the Compliance Managers across all 16 schools.

Debbie holds a B.A in Political Science and a B.S in Mathematics from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. She lives in Chicago and loves exploring Chicago’s food and live music scene.

Tori supports school leaders and teachers in their professional development aiming to provide students with equitable standards-based math instruction. Tori partners with several schools in the Chicago area.

Before joining Leading Educators, Tori worked as an instructional coach with a charter school in Chicago.

Tori holds a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from Tufts University and a M.A. in School Leadership from Concordia University. She lives in a suburb of Chicago where she enjoys exploring the different neighborhoods of Chicago, reading, baking, and spending time with friends and family.

LeAnita is a partner and guide for educators who works to make schools more equitable. She builds teacher capacity and understanding of instructional practices as it relates to Common Core State Standards and shifts for math.

Previously, LeAnita provided targeted, individualized coaching supports for new teachers in schools within the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) network of Chicago Public Schools. Prior to her work at AUSL, LeAnita was a primary and intermediate classroom teacher with Atlanta Public Schools and more recently at the University of Chicago Charter School-Donoghue Campus.

LeAnita holds a B.S. in Early Childhood Development from Northern Illinois University and a M.A.Ed in Instructional Leadership from Argosy University. She lives in Chicago, Il, with her husband Eric and son Logan and spends her free time exploring Chicago for and through the eyes of her toddler, binge-watching shows on Netflix, and occasionally cozying up with a good book.

Ashley believes all students deserve access to equitable instruction. Ashley leads ELA schools in the Chicago Collaborative and provides coaching and professional learning to each school’s teacher leaders and school leaders.

Ashley began her career as a 5th grade teacher in her hometown of Rockford, IL. She moved to pursue her graduate studies at Western Michigan University, where she served as a reading specialist in the university’s reading clinic and taught content area literacy upon graduation. Before joining Leading Educators, Ashley served as a Literacy Coach for two Chicago charter school campuses.

Ashley holds a M.A.Ed. in Literacy Studies from Western Michigan University and a B.S. in Elementary Education from Western Illinois University. Ashley lives in Chicago with her husband Daniel and her two sons Daniel Jr. and Dylan.