Equity-Focused, Improving Student Outcomes
The Academy for Urban School Leadership is a nonprofit organization that provides equity-focused programming to improve educational outcomes for students in underinvested communities.
Train
We develop high-quality, passionate educators in hard-to-fill subject areas through The Chicago Teacher Residency.
Advise
We work with communities and school leaders to dream, author, and create student-centered and community-driven visions for school improvement through LiberatED Way advisory services.
Board of Directors
Lindsey Axel*
Bantam Capital
Zaid Abdul-Aleem*
Managing Director at Moelis & Company
Jennifer Chuang
James E. Cowie*
President & Chief Executive Officer, Collegis Education
Brian Doyal*
Co-Head of Global Investment Banking, Robert W. Baird & Co.
Donald Feinstein, Ph.D.*
Executive Director, AUSL
Craig Goesel
Senior Vice President of Management Liability, Alliant/Mesirow Insurance Services
Jackie Jodl*
Senior Vice President of Global Youth and Education, Special Olympics
Martin J. Koldyke*
Founder and Chair Emeritus, AUSL
Robert E. King***
Salt Creek Ventures, LLC
Liz Lefkofsky**
Lefkofsky Family Foundation
Steve Pemberton
Anna Piepmeyer
Director, Community Impact, Aon
Cardelle Spangler*
Chair, AUSL
Chicago Managing Partner, Winston & Strawn LLP
* Members of the executive committee
** Honorary Director
*** Emeritus
AUSL Team
Usama Ahmad
Staff Accountant
Chelsea Bennett
Associate Director
Chicago Teacher Residency
Antigone Blackwell
Senior Director, Advancement
Megan Burback
Talent Acquisition & Admissions Specialist
Recruitment & Admissions
Brook Carpenter
Associate Director
Chicago Teacher Residency
Shane Caterino
Managing Director, External Relations
Camille Certeza
Associate Director, Process & Workflow Optimization
Stephanie Champi
Strategy Implementation Partner
LiberatED Way
Sarah Cohen
Program Director
LiberatED Way
Kristin Davis
Human Resources Generalist
Christine Diaz
Leadership Development Partner
LiberatED Way
Clarence Ewing
Manager, Recruiting and Admissions
Recruitment & Admissions
Donald Feinstein, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Martin Green
General Manager
LiberatED Way
Emily Herrick
Director, Program Expansion
LiberatED Way
Amy Jackson
Chief Financial Officer
Rick Jager
Teacher Development Partner
LiberatED Way
Jessica Kimbrough
Associate Director
Chicago Teacher Residency
Alleson Knox
Strategy and Implementation Partner
LiberatED Way
Melissa LaVine
Associate Director
Chicago Teacher Residency
Molly Leger
Associate Director, Strategic Initiatives
LiberatED Way
Molly Mahru
Manager, Recruiting and Admissions
Recruitment & Admissions
Leah Matari
Strategy and Implementation Partner
LiberatED Way
Mollie McKiernan
Chief People Officer
Jen Montojo
Senior Director of Development
Nikita Moye
Leadership Development Partner
LiberatED Way
Salomon Navarro
Marketing & Communications Manager
Paty Perea
Talent Acquisition & Admissions Specialist, Partnerships
Recruitment & Admissions
Jacob Pieczynski
Director of Marketing & Communications
Carina Pruitt
Associate Director
Chicago Teacher Residency
Kate Rhodes Peterson
Director
Chicago Teacher Residency
Zataya Shackelford
Program Director
LiberatED Way
Scott Sullivan
Director, University Partnerships & Continuing Education
Chicago Teacher Residency
Samantha Viera-Cano
Talent Acquisition & Admissions Specialist, AmeriCorps Director
Recruitment & Admissions
Michael Whitmore
Managing Director, Teaching and Learning
Chicago Teacher Residency
Erica Wright
Strategy and Implementation Partner
LiberatED Way
Troy Zoschke
Director, Data Solutions & Technology
Our core values
Accountability
Collaboration
Excellence
Initiative
Urgency
AUSL’s History
In 2001, Martin (Mike) Koldyke worked with Arne Duncan and Dr. Donald Feinstein to develop the Chicago Teacher Residency, an innovative model of teacher training.
This program provided Chicago Public School with high-quality teachers prepared to succeed within the demanding conditions of under-invested schools. In 2006, to better serve the needs of Chicago’s students, AUSL expanded its operations to include school management. CPS selected AUSL to implement a revolutionary model of whole school transformation at Sherman Elementary located in the Englewood neighborhood on Chicago’s southside. Today, Sherman is a Level 1 school, on the district’s School Quality Rating Performance score, and they’re not alone. While AUSL no longer manages schools, we continue to recruit and train high-quality educators and have evolved in the ways we support educators. Today, our LiberatED Way advisory service partners with schools across the country to help school leaders dream, author, and create student-centered and community driven visions for learning.
