CHICAGO — Chicago Public Schools officials and Mayor Rahm Emanuel honored 29 principals as the cream of the crop Wednesday — and gave them a break from paperwork.
The principals are the newest members of the district's Independent Schools Principal program, which was launched in 2015 as part of an effort to allow the top-performing principals to operate with more autonomy.
"The success of our schools directly reflects the strong leadership that guides them," Emanuel said in a statement. "By empowering our leading principals with greater flexibility, we allow them to innovate in ways that ensure our students receive a high-quality education tailored to meet their needs, while putting them on a path to a brighter future."
The principals picked for the program "will be exempt from network oversight and evaluation by network chiefs, and granted greater flexibility with regard to professional learning content, budgeting and purchasing for their schools," according to a statement from CPS officials.
The principals who will operate autonomously are:
• Sarah Abedelal – Brennemann Elementary School
• Karen Anderson – James Ward Elementary School
• Michael Biela – Admiral Hyman George Rickover Naval Academy
• Patricia Brekke – Back of the Yards College Preparatory High School
• July Cyrwus – Lorca Elementary School
• Carolyn Eggert – DeVry University Advantage Academy
• Jeremy Feiwell – Lazaro Cardenas Elementary School
• Erin Galfer – Marine Leadership Academy
• Sheldon House – Simeon Career Academy
• Kurt Jones – Franklin Fine Arts
• Gwen Kasper-Couty – Sabin Dual Language Magnet School
• William Klee – Jonathan Burr Elementary School
• Lillian Lazu – Little Village Academy
• Joshua Long – Southside Occupational Academy High School
• Renee Mackin – Carl Von Linne Elementary
• Estuardo Mazin – Barry Elementary School
• Julie McGlade – John W. Garvy Elementary School
• Beulah McLoyd – Dyett High School
• Richard Morris – Burroughs Elementary School
• Carmen Navarro – Azuela Elementary School
• Wendy Oleksy – Christopher Columbus Elementary School
• Ekaterini Panagakis – Charles H. Wacker Elementary School
• Anna Pavichevich – Amundsen High School
• Mary Kay Richardson – Thomas Early Childhood Center
• Mauricio Segovia – Darwin Elementary
• Joseph Shoffner – McClellan Elementary School
• Efren Toledo – O. A. Thorp Scholastic Academy
• Gerardo Trujillo – Louis Pasteur Elementary School
• Michelle Willis – Frank L. Gillespie Elementary School.
In addition, CPS officials Wednesday named 30 principals who will participate in the Chicago Principals Fellowship program, a 12-month leadership development program.
The newest fellows are:
Manuel Adrianzen – Nobel Elementary School
• Christopher Allen – Uno-Spc Daniel Zizumbo Charter School
• Karime Asaf – Moos Elementary
• LaWanda Bishop – Rudyard Kipling Elementary School
• Tiffany Brown – Wendell Smith Elementary School
• Jewel Diaz – Ashburn Community Elementary School
• Monique Dockery – Oliver S. Westcott Elementary School
• John Fitzpatrick – Josephine Locke Elementary School
• Linnea Garrett – Chicago Tech Academy
• Nneka Gunn – John F. Eberhart Elementary School
• Stephen Harden – D R Cameron Elementary School
• Angelica Herrera-Vest – Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez Elementary School
• Antigoni Lambrinides-Sofios – West Ridge Elementary School
• Kristie Langbehn – Casals School of Excellence
• Laura LeMone – Von Steuben Metropolitan High School
• Nathan Manaen – Ravenswood Elementary School
• Kelly Mest – Northside College Prep
• Nicole Milberg – Mitchell Elementary School
• Courtney Mix-Binish – Uno Bartolome De Las Casas Charter School
• Christine Munns – Sauganash Elementary School
• Naomi Nakayama – Lyman A. Budlong Elementary School
• Kristin Novy – Christopher House Elementary
• Konstantinos Patsiopoulos – Charles N. Holden Elementary School
• Sherry Pirtle – Alex Haley Academy
• Rodolfo Rojas – Edward Everett Elementary School
• Shirley Scott -- Ellington Elementary School
• Adam Stich – Hitch Elementary School
• Allison Tingwall – Curie Metro High School
• Takeshi White-James – Avalon Park Elementary School
• Ferdinand Wipachit – Phoenix Military Academy.
