North Chicago School District 187
North Chicago District 187 has partnered with Leading Educators since 2017 to help educators develop excellent instructional practice at the K-5 grade level so all students are prepared academically and socially to pursue and realize their unique purpose.
About the Partnership
North Chicago District 187 is determined to prepare each child, academically and socially, to pursue and realize their unique purpose. Likewise, leaders are committed to continuous improvement to provide high-quality programs driven by students’ needs. That includes providing training and support for teachers and staff to be effective and ensure learning spaces enable student success.
To build on existing strengths, leaders in North Chicago schools agree that there is still room to grow.
Challenge
On the 2022 state report card, only 13.2% of students were proficient in ELA, and 7.4% were proficient in math.
At the school level, curriculum-based planning has been a challenge. Teachers need more consistent support and structures to internalize and pre-plan with the curriculum so they can use quality materials effectively. Leaders say that previous professional development tied to the curriculum from outside vendors could have been better and more frequent.
Solution
North Chicago has adopted a new high-quality K-5 ELA curriculum and has established multi-tiered support for students who are not yet performing at grade level. Leading Educators is helping the district ensure teachers get the planning time needed to consistently plan and internalize the curriculum content.
Previously, LE supported curriculum implementation by working with curriculum vendors to develop curriculum checklists for district coaches and guide district leadership through change management.
This Year: Supporting Ongoing Professional Learning
Leading Educators is leading North Chicago educators through ongoing learning cycles for ELA and math at their schools.
These learning cycles include shared content learning sessions, learning walks, instructional leadership team(ILT) support, and district instructional leadership stepbacks. We’re also developing teacher leaders to lead Professional Learning Communities (PLCs). Leading Educators has created and defined a professional learning guidebook to inform system-level supports.
Gaining clarity on curriculum expectations and the systems needed to support its implementation effectively, including sufficient time allocation.
Creating structures for collaborative support, such as recurring, curriculum-based professional learning and distributive instructional leadership.
Building an understanding of instructional methods that encourage students to take ownership of their thinking and learning.
Developing a comprehensive understanding of all curriculum components and their alignment with best practices among teachers and coaches.
Partnership By The Numbers
1,101 Students
being prepared to succeed in school and in life
132 Teachers
engaged in curriculum-aligned professional learning to develop deep content knowledge in math and ELA
9 Leaders and District Coaches
supported to build coaches’ content knowledge and strong coaching practices
Meet The Team
Claudine Andrews
LeAnita Garner
Tori McGowan
Shondele Gillens-Vazquez
Morgan Qin
Danielle Parker
About Claudine Andrews
Before joining Leading Educators, Claudine provided targeted, individualized coaching support for new and experienced teachers in schools within the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) network of Chicago Public Schools. Prior to her work at AUSL, Claudine was a middle school teacher through the Inner City Teaching Corps, and a teacher and Math coach at the University of Chicago Charter School - Donoghue Campus.
Claudine holds a B.A in Sociology and French Literature from Boston College and a M.S.Ed in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University. She currently lives outside of Detroit with her husband and their two children. When not working, Claudine enjoys indoor cycling, watching college sports, and hanging out with her family and friends.
Claudine Andrews in the news
About LeAnita Garner
Before joining Leading Educators, LeAnita provided targeted, individualized coaching to new teachers in schools within the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) network of Chicago Public Schools. That role evolved into a Network Instructional Coach where she supported teachers, teacher leaders, and school leaders in deepening their understanding of standards aligned instruction through coaching support and professional development. Prior to her work at AUSL, LeAnita was a primary and intermediate classroom teacher with Atlanta Public Schools and later with 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.
LeAnita Garner in the news
About Tori McGowan
Previously with Leading Educators, she coached instructional leaders across Chicago as an Instructional Leadership Coach. Before joining Leading Educators, Tori worked as an instructional coach with a charter school in Chicago. She has worked in education for over 26 years as a teacher, Lead Teacher, Assistant Director, Math Coordinator, and Instructional Coach.
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.
About Shondele Gillens-Vazquez
She enjoys creating spaces where educators share experiences and problems of practice in an effort to learn from one another and develop collegial relationships. She is rooted in the belief that teachers with an awareness of strengths and influence have a special set of leadership skills necessary to influence and support educational efforts to promote equity and advocacy for children of color.
Shondele is driven by her strong desire to be an advocate for students whose voices are not recognized as appropriately powerful. She is excited to be a part of a team that believes all kids deserve to be heard while being committed to the “dance” that empowers and liberates teachers to be leaders in this necessary work.
About Morgan Qin
Over the last few years, Morgan worked as an Implementation Support Specialist for Great Minds, facilitating coaching conversations with teachers in their instruction of the Common Core math standards through Eureka math. Before working for Great Minds, Morgan was a third-grade teacher within Chicago Public Schools in the AUSL network.
Morgan currently lives in Chicago with her husband, Simon, and their dog, Roscoe. She enjoys reading, watching Liverpool soccer games, and spending time with friends and family.
About Danielle Parker
Danielle taught in Kansas City, MO and Chicago for five years. In her free time, she enjoys listening to comedy shows, reading a good book, or spending time outdoors.
Learn About Other Partnerships
North Chicago Public Schools is 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.
