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Welcome to the newsletter of the UIC EdD program in Urban Education Leadership. If you have items to be considered for submission, please forward them to ckbarron@uic.edu
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February 2022
UIC LEADERS ON THE MOVE!
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In this issue...
In this issue you will read about a range of news, including:
- Spotlighting African American Male Leadership
- Current student and alumni appointments
- Current student and alumni awards
- Program announcements
- New Books
- UIC Faculty
- Resources
- Superintendent Endorsement Information
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Leadership is Essential
Celebrating Dr. Lionel Allen
Recently published chapter "How Should I Feel About That?"
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Dr. Lionel Allen, Jr., Clinical Assistant Professor of Education Policy Studies and Leadership Coach in the Urban Education Leadership Ed.D. Program, was recently published in the edited book, Fighting the Good Fight: Narratives of the African American Principalship. His chapter, entitled “How Should I Feel About That?” details his experiences as an African American male principal during the height of Renaissance 2010 (Ren10) in Chicago. Ren10 was a comprehensive educational reform initiative designed to reinvent and legitimize a school district mired in inequity and underperformance. Advocates of Ren10 argued that it was the jolt that the district needed to improve schools while opponents saw Ren10 as “a mechanism designed to hasten the neoliberalization of public education” and that it would lead to the destabilization of school communities, and the undermining of the localized governance of schools.
Using his experiences as a No Child Left Behind (NCLB) turnaround principal to anchor his analysis, Dr. Allen makes visible the cognitive and emotional tensions associated with the turnaround model of school of reform. He argues that while it improved the educational experiences of the students in his charge, the success of Ulysses S. Grant Elementary School helped to catalyze a series of actions that had devastating effects on the educational experiences of African American students and teachers in Chicago. In the last 18 years, for example, city and district leaders have closed or reconstituted 200 public schools in mostly African American communities affecting more than 70,000 students and hundreds of African American teachers. This chapter forces readers to interrogate how we feel about the real human, and educational costs of reform.
As part of his work at UIC, Dr. Allen teaches a signature pedagogy course on cycles of inquiry, an instructional leadership course, and co-leads the full-year residency course for aspiring school leaders. He has over twenty years of experience as a teacher, assistant principal, principal, and network level leader. He is an education consultant, leadership coach, and a frequently invited speaker. He is also the founder of ed Leaders Matter, an organization designed to improve schools by focusing intently on leadership development. Dr. Allen received his baccalaureate degree from Northwestern University and his master’s and doctoral degrees from UIC. His work has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, CNN, PBS and Edutopia as part of their “Schools That Work” series. In 2018, UIC’s College of Education named him the Educational Leader of the Year.
The book Fighting the Good Fight: Narratives of the African American Principalship, can be purchased here.
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A Leader to Know: Dr. Romian Crockett
Spotlight on African American Male Leadership
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Romian Crockett (Cohort 13) is the Principal at Chalmers School of Excellence on the west side of Chicago. Dr. Crockett is unique; he is a black male from the west side and a graduate of CPS. He takes the work extremely personally and believes in doing "right" by kids.
After teaching at Fenger High School, Dr. Crockett became a resident principal at Chavez Academic Center and subsequently became the principal at Chalmers. He used his personal and professional experiences to improve the school's trajectory. After completing his initial diagnosis of the school, it was evident that Chalmers suffered from poor leadership, low expectations, and operated with a lack of purpose. Knowing that kids were being harmed and the widening achievement gap prompted him to make difficult decisions.
To improve what was happening in the classroom, first, he addressed staffing. The expectations for students in the school were low, and adults' expectations were even lower. There was also this issue of race, which complicated things. Ninety-nine percent of students were Black, and there was only one Black teacher in the building at his arrival. Understanding the need for highly qualified teachers and highly qualified teachers of color, Dr. Crockett “coached out” or did not renew at least ten teachers by the end of his first year as principal. As a result, relationships with his teaching staff were negatively impacted, as well as his relationships with network leadership. He made these sacrifices for the betterment of children, which ultimately proved to be the correct decision.
While addressing staffing, Dr. Crockett also prioritized mending the relationship with parents. Chalmers, like other turnaround schools, neglected its parents. Never fully engaging them as partners in the work of educating their children. Dr. Crockett's unique traits of being a black male from the area allowed him to speak the language of the community, which allowed him to connect with parents on a different level. He leveraged his relationships with parents and developed structures that involved them in their child's learning. There was no way to educate the "whole child" without parents, which was affirmed by remote learning during the pandemic.
With parents on board and the right people on the bus, as Dr. Cosner would say, Dr. Crockett has focused on improving the instructional program at Chalmers, which for years did not address the needs of African American children. The initial focus centered on Establishing Purposeful Classrooms and has since shifted to Cultivating Genius and Engaging in Courageous Conversations About Race.
Chalmers has come a long way since Dr. Crockett became principal. His efforts have led to increases in teacher retention (45% to 85%) and parental and community involvement, translating to greater student achievement. Chalmers is not perfect. Neither is Dr. Crockett. He remains committed to ensuring every student who leaves Chalmers controls their future. Way too often, African American boys and girls are told what they need to do and who they need to be. Rarely are they told how great they already are.
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A Message From the UIC EdD Urban Education Leadership Program
Program Director
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The work of Dr. Allen, Dr. Crockett, Dr. Shoffner and others, reminds us of how powerful a voice Black male leaders can have in the field, and how much that voice is needed. UIC has produced a majority of leaders of color over the past 20 years, but we need to do more, and there's a role for everyone to play. The pipeline of Black male teachers is itself thin, and this has to do with our development of the talents of Balck boys in P-12, where everyone, not just Black male leaders, has a responsibility to do better than we have.
For example, you may have noticed some of Dr. Decoteau Irby’s tweets about recent publications. Check out Decoteau’s story here and please share with others. We are so fortunate to have his brilliance at UIC but we need more in our schools.
School leaders’ race and ethnicity influences student outcomes (Grissom, 2021). It is everyone's responsibility--whether they are a current school leader, District leader, part of a philanthropic organization or just a friend of education-- to seek out and encourage our males of color to enter education, take on teacher leader roles and think about their role as educational leaders. The strength of the UIC program lies in its diversity, and if we are going to achieve our goals, we must strive to ensure our leadership reflects the diversity of the students we serve. 1 in every 10 CPS schools is led by a UIC principal, and 1 in 7 CPS schools is led by a UIC principal or assistant principal. Of all current UIC principals, APs, and system-level leaders, 94 (54%) are leaders of color--and among current UIC principals, 50 of 79 (63%) are leaders of color. But we can and should do better.
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Congratulations to Dr. Julia Singler
Interim Principal, McCormick Elementary
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Julia Otter Singler, Ed.D. (Cohort 13, CLC Cohort 4) was recently appointed Interim Principal of McCormick Elementary School in Little Village. Previously, Julia served as assistant principal of both McCormick Elementary and Curtis School of Excellence and as a Distributed Leadership Specialist with the Empowered Schools Cohort in the Office of Teaching & Learning. At McCormick, Julia continues the work that was detailed in her 2019 capstone, Cultivating Distributed Leadership as a Strategy for School Improvement, so that each staff member is empowered as a learner with opportunities to lead and every student gets the very best from the adults who serve them. Dr. Singler views every situation and leadership decision through the lens of what she would want for her child. The stated mission of McCormick School is, “…to ensure all students receive a high quality education through a supportive learning environment and a rigorous curriculum. We strive to empower our parents, teachers, and community to be actively involved as our students become responsible lifelong learners and productive members of society.”
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Congratulations to Dr. Seth Lavin
Sun Times Op-Ed
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Seth Lavin (Cohort 12), principal at Brentano Elementary School, recently published a Sun Times op-ed piece, “I'm a Chicago Principal. Our Schools are Not OK”. His concerns revolve around what will be a continuing struggle to confront and deal with the multipronged impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students, staff, and families in CPS. With a spouse teaching in Chicago’s schools, and children in CPS, Seth’s perspective is well-informed by his family and professional experiences. This op-ed is not a complaint, but a call to understanding and action. The title of Dr. Lavin’s final capstone was “Progressive Change in a Neighborhood School: Building Structures and Culture to Transform Instruction.”
You can find Lavin’s op-ed here.
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Congratulations to Corey Morrison
WTTW Kenwood Spotlight
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Kenwood Academy Assistant Principal Corey Morrison (Cohort 15) was recently featured on public television as he discussed academic extracurricular programs. This is part of a WTTW Know Your Neighborhood series and this segment features Kenwood as a community asset. Corey’s presentation offered a profile of Kenwood that may have been surprising to some people on two fronts. First, many people think of Kenwood as academically strong but didn’t know that they had so many championship teams. And then he flips that perception again to say, "This isn’t just about sports; our kids are strong academically, and people are surprised to see the success of our debate team." Corey is effectively making the point that high school kids need to connect to their school communities in different ways, and Kenwood is supplying a rich variety of ways for kids to be and feel involved.
You can find Corey’s interview here.
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Aspire Fellowship
"Aspire absolutely changed my life"
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The Aspire Fellowship was established out of a mutual desire between UIC and TFA to address the persistent inequitable outcomes between Black, Latinx, and White students in Chicago, from the earliest grades all the way to post-secondary. Educational research affirms that one lever that drives outcomes for Black and Latinx students is to increase the number of Black and Latinx school leaders. Toward this goal, the Aspire Fellowship seeks to create a pipeline to CPS and urban districts by preparing aspiring leaders of color to enter principal certification programs. Under the leadership of Dr. Lionel Allen, and the founding UIC/TFA planning team and leadership coaches (several of whom are UIC Alum), we’re building a strong cohort community, exploring racial identity and leadership, and establishing impact initiatives for the school year.
The Aspire Fellowship supports individuals in gaining the skills, confidence, and mindsets necessary to enter and successfully complete a principal certification program. The Aspire Fellowship builds the confidence, knowledge, hands-on experience, and supportive relationships needed to embark on the journey into urban school leadership. The fellowship experience includes rigorous seminars, cohort collaboratives, an impact initiative similar to a practicum, one-to-one coaching, and local principal support. With a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusivity, the Aspire Fellowship is designed around the experiences of leaders of color and those who have directly faced educational inequity.
Testimonials from current and former Aspire Fellows regarding the impact of the Aspire Fellowship are common. In a recent conversation, Cohort 2 Aspire Fellow Keenen Stevenson (2016 Greater Chicago- Northwest Indiana alum) spoke with his coach Joseph Shoffner (Professor and Leadership Coach at UIC’s Urban Education Leadership Program) about how the Aspire program changed his life. Stevenson describes how the Aspire program helped him focus his efforts surrounding equity, “dive into them in very specific detail” and bring them into fruition with tangible results. Stevenson is currently working on a project advocating for more socio-emotional support for educators. Stevenson says the Aspire program has really allowed him to “take charge and lead”.
To view Teach for America’s February newsletter, click here.
FAQs
Where will the Aspire Fellowship seminars and other events take place?
The Aspire Fellowship will run primarily in a virtual format this year. Some events may switch to being in person if it becomes safe to do so and as participants request.
Who are the Aspire Fellowship Coaches?
Coaches in the Aspire Fellowship are current or former urban school leaders, passionate about developing the next generation of leaders. A matching process is used to pair Fellows with Coaches based on their strengths, development foci, and shared social identities.
What is the Impact Initiative?
With the support of their principal and help from their coach, each Fellow will lead a school-
based initiative as part of the fellowship. The Impact Initiative provides Fellows with hands-on leadership experience in managing adults, changing adult practices, and continuous school improvement.
Will the Aspire Fellowship help me get into the UIC Ed.D program?
The Aspire Fellowship is not a direct “feeder” into the UIC Ed.D program. However, the intent of the three fellowship pillars: Liberatory Learning, Hands-on Experience, and Lasting Relationships are to position Fellows as strong candidates for any principal preparation program, including the UIC Ed.D program.
What support is available to me after I complete the fellowship?
Fellows can continue to receive support beyond the program while applying to principal certification programs, including individualized coaching and coverage of application fees. Upon entering a principal certification program, fellows will receive an award of $1000 to be used towards their education.
For further information on Aspire contact Dr. Lionel Allen, Jr. @ lallen5@uic.edu or Dr. Cynthia Barron @ ckbarron@uic.edu
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Ed.D. Urban Education Leadership Students & Alumni Survey
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Program Director, Dr. Sharon Spears, is currently in the process of sending out a google survey to help us update our program databases and communication. If you have participated in the Ed.D. Urban Education Leadership program please take a few minutes to complete this survey and assist us in strengthening our outreach and networking processes.
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Summer Research Experience @ UIC for CPS Science Teachers
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The UIC College of Engineering and College of Education are excited to continue a summer research program for CPS high school teachers in summer 2022. The summer research experience will provide an opportunity for pre-engineering and science teachers to spend time in biomedical engineering research labs and use the experience to create a curriculum for use in their own classrooms. The six-week program matches teachers to a laboratory under the guidance of College of Engineering research-active core biomedical engineering faculty mentors. These lab opportunities are in diverse areas that include 3D printing laboratory equipment, tissue engineering, biomedical imaging, brain activity monitoring, rehabilitation engineering, bioacoustics, biomaterials, and mechanics of the pulmonary system. In partnership with College of Education faculty who are recognized experts in curriculum design and teaching in secondary education, and in particular, teaching of secondary science in urban schools, participant-tailored curricular mentoring in weekly workshops will focus on principles of effective planning, instruction, and assessment to be directly connected to teachers’ classroom curriculum.
Applications are now open on the BEST website and are due by March 25th
Questions about the program can be directed to Dr. Jennifer Olson: jolson21@uic.edu
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Illinois Administrator Licensure Information
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Is your Illinois Professional Educator License due for renewal in June 2022?
The answer to this question is at your fingertips. Please go to your Educator Licensure Information System (ELIS) account to review your records. If your records show a license expiration date of "06/30/2022," then this coming school year is your renewal year.
Please check your professional development records. Make sure you have entered your required amount of "Continuing Professional Development Hours," and be sure you have completed your required number of Illinois Administrator Academy courses.
If you need additional IAA courses, don’t delay. Register for the courses you need. Good sources are IPA and CPAA.
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Upcoming EdD Information Sessions
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The strength of our program lies in its diversity, and if we are going to achieve our goals, we must strive to ensure our leadership reflects the diversity of the students we serve. 1 in every 10 CPS schools is led by a UIC principal, and 1 in 7 CPS schools is led by a UIC principal or assistant principal. School leaders’ race and ethnicity influences student outcomes (Grissom, 2021). Of all current UIC principals, APs, and system-level leaders, 94 (54%) are leaders of color--and among current UIC principals, 50 of 79 (63%) are leaders of color.
The EdD in Urban Education Leadership is a nationally-recognized program designed to prepare and develop principals who are able to lead and significantly improve teaching and learning in urban schools. We seek applicants who are outstanding teachers and assistant principals who want to transition to school leadership positions, as well as principals desiring to take their schools to the next level.
We are ready to begin our search for the next Ed.D. Urban Education Leadership cohort. In efforts to recruit candidates with potential in becoming strong leaders, we look to you for assistance. Please contact Dr. Sharon Spears @ slspears@uic.edu and copy Dr. Barron @ckbarron@uic.edu with information on “leaders to watch” and those you believe would be a good fit for our program. Please also share with potential candidates details on our upcoming 21-22 information sessions
Our deadline for applying to the EdD Program in Urban Education Leadership will be July 15, 2022. Information session dates and the registration link is below. Interested candidates are encouraged to register for an information session and/or reach out to Dr. Cynthia Barron at ckbarron@uic.edu for an individual one-on-one.
2021-2022 Information Sessions:
March 12, 2022; 9:00-10:30 a.m.
April 2, 2022; 9:00-10:30 a.m.
May 3, 2022; 3:30-4:30 p.m.
May 28, 2022; 9:00-10:30 a.m.
June 18, 2022; 9:00-10:30 a.m.
Here is the the link for participant registration
For general program inquiries you may contact Dr. Cynthia Barron (ckbarron@uic.edu). If you have any questions about the application process, please contact Elise Wilson (elise@uic.edu).
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We are now accepting applications for the newly revamped superintendent program. If you are interested in learning whether the new UIC Superintendent program is the right match for you, we encourage you to fill out an interest form. At the end of the interest form, you will see a prompt to submit your resume to Superintendent Program Coordinator, Dr. Cynthia Barron (ckbarron@uic.edu). Shortly after your submission, she will contact you to set up a phone call to learn more about your background. For any questions about the program, do not hesitate to reach out to Dr. Barron.
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