CUEL Awarded $250K to Collaborate on Designing and Testing Learning Design for the Fund’s Malott Principal Fellows Program

In summer 2023, the Center for Urban Education Leadership (CUEL) received a 250K award from The Chicago Public Education Fund to co-design, implement, and study a leadership development program for Chicago Public School principals who are leading the District’s Priority Schools. CUEL is collaborating with Chicago-based WISE Leadership Consulting in this effort. This award will support the first year of a two year project. During the 2023-2024 program year, which kicked off its first session on September 27th, the inaugural class of 22 CPS Malott Principal Fellows began to engage with a multi-element learning experience anchored in monthly Principal Learning Labs. These labs will be complemented by individualized, high-dose leadership coaching throughout the 2023-2024 school year. The project presents an excellent opportunity to deepen CUEL’s expertise in addressing the learning needs of principals serving Chicago’s Priority and Progressive schools. Many of these schools have been identified as high churn schools in prior CUEL research because they face exceptionally high levels of conditions like student homelessness, chronic truancy, and mobility. Other CUEL staff members with key roles in this project include Dr. Ernesto Matias and Dr. Molly Watson, both experienced leadership coaches. Members of the WISE Leadership Consulting team include Dr. Peggie Burnett-Wise, Mr. Isaac Castelaz, and Ms. Valencia Koker.