watsonm@uic.edu
Mary “Molly’ Watson, Leadership Coach. Dr. Watson is a Leadership Coach in the CUEL. In this role, she coaches Chicago Public Schools network chiefs and network deputy chiefs as a part of the CUEL’s grant work funded by the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation. This grant project, titled, “Engaging P2 to Diagnose and Address Network Chief Learning Needs,” seeks to contribute to the CPS 5-Year Vision by strengthening the practice of Network Chiefs as principal supervisors who effect continuous improvement and help principals grow as instructional leaders. Dr. Watson coordinates with CUEL faculty and CPS leadership to design and implement tools, routines, and protocols to develop network chiefs’ and deputies’ formative evaluation skills. In turn, network staff will coach principals to attend effectively to equity-oriented instruction, culture and climate, trust building, family engagement, and organizational change.
Dr. Watson has a wide range of educational leadership experiences including serving as a leadership coach for Learning Sciences International, a Deputy Chief of Schools for Chicago Public Schools, a leadership coach for UIC for the New Schools for Chicago grant initiative, and Senior Director of School Curriculum and Assessment for the Accelerate Institute. She has also been a school principal, assistant principal and classroom teacher. She has a PhD. from the University of Illinois Chicago in Policy Studies in Urban Education.