Fellows Will Lead Changes to Schoolwide Instructional Practice to Benefit Student Learning
CHICAGO, IL ―Teach Plus Illinois has selected 14 high-performing Chicago-area teachers as Fellows of its first Change Agent Fellowship, a program that empowers teachers to lead change to a specific, schoolwide problem of instructional practice. The 14 educators, who teach at public elementary and high schools across the city, will spend the school year tackling a range of instructional challenges from increasing the rigor of questioning and formative assessments to increasing student engagement in the curriculum. Teach Plus will provide Fellows with extensive leadership coaching and support them in developing action plans to help solve real challenges for their students.
“We have seen again and again that when teachers own the major challenges in their schools and lead the effort to solve these, students and the entire school community benefit,” said Josh Kaufmann, Executive Director of Teach Plus Illinois. “We are excited to launch our first Change Agent cohort and can’t wait to see the impact these teacher leaders have on student learning.”
“I am confident that the Teach Plus training, mentoring, and resources will provide a strong foundation for sustainable practice change at my school,” said Fellow Monica Griffin, a 9th grade algebra teacher at Bogan Computer Technical High School, whose problem of practice centers on global thinking and questioning. “I’m looking forward to learning and collaborating, and to developing my skills in order to contribute to the growth and performance of all of our students and teachers.”
The 2017-18 Chicago Change Agents are:
Cara Salvant ― George W. Curtis Elementary
Denise Frasure ― Clara Barton Elementary
Herb Singleton ― Bond Elementary
Keeshia Winfert ― CICS Longwood
Keishonda Simms ― William H. Ryder Math & Science Specialty School
Maggie Bodanyi ― Alexander Graham Elementary
Michelle Velez ― Jose De Diego Community Academy
Ryan Burnett ― Asa Philip Randolph Elementary
Sonia Plascencia ― Hurley Elementary
Stephanie Mejia ― Nixon Elementary
Andrea Parker ― Robert Fulton Elementary
Brad Gill ― Marie Sklodowska Curie Metro High School
Kallie Jones ― Mary E McDowell Elementary School
Monica Griffin ― Bogan Computer Technical H.S.
The Change Agent Fellowship was made possible by generous support from the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation and the Crown Family.
The Lloyd A. Fry Foundation is committed to increasing the academic achievement of low-income students in Chicago public schools by providing opportunities for teachers to collaborate with each other and school leaders.
About Teach Plus
Teach Plus empowers excellent, experienced teachers to take leadership over key policy and practice issues that affect their students’ success. Teach Plus programs are designed to place highly effective teachers at the center of improvements in schools as leaders of their peers and outside schools influencing policy decisions that affect their classrooms. The programs develop excellent teachers into leaders who achieve change and mobilize others in their school, district, state, and across the nation to bring change to scale. Since its inception in August 2007, Teach Plus has grown to a network of more than 26,000 solutions-oriented teachers across the country. teachplus.org
# # #
