
Cincinnati Public Schools
Cincinnati Public Schools is partnering with Leading Educators to improve students’ access to challenging and affirming instruction through best-in-class, ongoing professional development for more than 2155 educators.
About the Partnership
Cincinnati Public School (CPS) is dedicated to educating more than 36,000 students with unwavering rigor and care, fostering a culture of excellence. CPS’s vision extends beyond the classroom – intending to develop engaged citizens who are prepared for life, ready to lead in their communities and influence the world.
By creating meaningful learning experiences and fostering student-centered decision-making, we’re helping prepare students for academic success and leadership roles in their communities and on the global stage.”
However, CPS recognizes several challenges in that path. The Ohio School Report Card identifies persistent opportunity gaps similar to those faced by many communities nationwide.
The Solution
Amid pandemic recovery, CPS and Leading Educators are partnering to provide ongoing professional learning for CPS teachers to deepen their content knowledge in math and ELA.
Until now, CPS has led teacher professional development internally and sees the need for external, research-backed capacity building so the district can continue to offer high-quality professional learning in the future without the help of an outside partner.
Read a Related StoryLeading Educators is co-designing and delivering five days of in-depth professional learning in math and ELA for 2155 teachers throughout the year. It focuses on the math and ELA standards, instructional shifts, and aligned research-based classroom practices.
We are designing and delivering ten three-hour learning experiences for Curriculum and Instruction leaders (C&I team) to build their capacity to accelerate instructional improvement, engage school leaders, and support progress at schools.
Leading Educators also provides nine three-hour learning experiences for C&I leaders focused on supporting and developing coaching to ensure that learning from PD days transfers into practice in classrooms across the district.
We are coaching “early adopter” teachers at 31 schools who will engage in mini-cycles of coaching up to six times a year. These touchpoints offer extended learning from district-wide PL sessions with planning and rehearsing of a lesson. Later, they encompass lesson observation, coaching, and debriefing at the school site.
Partnership By The Numbers
At a systemic scale, we’re helping educators strengthen teaching and learning across Cincinnati Public Schools.

2155 teachers
participating in math and ELA professional learning focused on standards, instructional shifts, and research-based classroom practices.

36,000 students
supported to reach their full potential with grade-appropriate lessons connected to the real world.

27 hours
of content-specific professional learning available to teachers throughout the year.

100% of teachers
said that their coach helps them identify clear, measurable, and student-focused next steps to work on at mid-year.
CPS will foster systems that support educators to support one another through collaboration and feedback to strengthen implementation fidelity."
About Ana Luis
Ana began her teaching career working in state prisons in Michigan providing GED instruction to those incarcerated. She then shifted to teaching in youth detention centers and teaching GED classes at community centers in Lansing. Ana moved to Indianapolis in 2010 and taught traditional middle and high school math for a few years before becoming the lead teacher and instructional coach at the Excel Center; a high school diploma program for students who had previously discontinued high school and are returning to earn their diplomas.
Ana has also served as a program coordinator in the Indianapolis community focusing on building more equitable education systems for families experiencing homelessness. She is currently a PhD candidate in Indiana University's Urban Education Studies program. Her research focus is investigating how systemic racism impacts math education, the construction of learner identities in math classrooms, and high school attrition. In my free time, Ana loves to paint, podcast, cook, spend time with friends and family, play with her 3-year-old son, and travel to Lake Michigan as often as possible.
About Chae D’Ann Ray
Before joining Leading Educators, Chae served as a teacher, instructional coach, and Assistant Principal in Houston and Austin, TX. Chae is a National Board Certified Teacher and a 2019 Kinder Excellence in Teaching Award winner. Most recently she served as a Director of ELA Curriculum and Achievement, serving teachers and leaders in improving literacy outcomes for K-12 students at a high-performing charter network.
Chae holds an M.Ed. in Instructional Leadership from Sam Houston State University and a B.A. in English from University of Houston. Chae lives outside of Houston, TX with her husband and daughter. She loves making memories with her family, trying new restaurants, and traveling.
About Kristina Rubio
Previously, Kristina served the San Gabriel Valley of Los Angeles on behalf of the American Cancer Society via Relay for Life events where she empowered volunteers to engage with their communities to continue the fight against cancer. Additionally, she led the planning and execution of special events for the Stamp Student Union at the University of Maryland, College Park.
Kristina holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Tennessee and a Masters of Education in College Student Personnel Administration from James Madison University. She currently resides in Los Angeles where she can typically be found working on her yoga practice, trying to find the best breakfast burrito around, and planning which part of the world to explore next.
Meet Our Partners
Cincinnati Public Schools is just one of a dozen partnerships across the country that are pushing the boundaries of what schools can offer students. Learn more about how we customize our supports to meet the needs and strengths of visionary districts.
