Friends and Supporters, Thanks to your unwavering support, 2024 was a year of meaningful growth and impact for AUSL. Your generosity and dedication fuels our work to ensure that students in Chicago and across the country have a great teacher and a transformative educational experience. Thank you to all of our friends and partners for making this work possible for over 20 years. I invite you to read AUSL’s 2024 Impact Report, which captures the authentic stories and milestones that demonstrate how AUSL educators are unlocking student potential in Chicago’s most underserved neighborhoods...

AUSL’s Advisory Services program, LiberatED Way, has partnered with The Carole Robertson Center for Learning since 2021. The partnership led to the creation of a student-centered vision for Kindergarten readiness and built the capacity of staff and faculty to engage and collaborate with families.  Through the work, LiberatED Way focused on strengthening family partnerships utilizing the Dual Capacity-Building Framework, a model developed by Dr. Karen Mapp to ensure effective collaboration between families and educational institutions. This framework is foundational to the Center’s mission...

The Danielson Framework for Teaching has become a cornerstone in educator preparation programs nationwide. Its data-supported structure and comprehensive approach to teaching effectiveness make it an invaluable tool for teacher development. At the Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL), we integrate the Danielson Framework into our Teacher Residency program to ensure Residents receive the reflective and meaningful teacher training to prepare them for a fulfilling career ahead. Understanding the Danielson Framework Developed by Charlotte Danielson, the Danielson Framework is widely...

Earlier this winter, AUSL hosted an Open House at Pablo Casals School of Excellence in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood bringing together current and former Residents, school leaders, and friends of the AUSL community. Attendees met AUSL Executive Director Adam Case, listened to a panel of current and former Residents, and witnessed the transformative impact of AUSL's teacher residency program firsthand by visiting classrooms at Casals. “This is why we are so focused on producing great teachers. We believe that is the agent of change for impacting students’ lives,” said Adam Case....

Growing up in a Military Family, service has always been important to William Melvin. After living in seven states and going to college, his desire to serve others called him to the classroom. William graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in finance and worked at several banks before making the career switch to education. He was a Client Relationship Consultant at U.S. Bank before starting his Residency program.“You can be good at something in life, but that doesn’t mean you’ll like to do it,” shared William. He gravitated to education because of his eagerness to connect with students and...

The Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) is pleased to announce the addition of Arnie Rivera and Drew Beres to our Board of Directors. As dedicated leaders with extensive experience in education and community development, Arnie and Drew bring valuable perspectives to AUSL’s mission to improve educational outcomes for students and empower teachers and leaders in schools in Chicago and across the country.Arnie Rivera has a strong background in public service and education policy. His work in various leadership roles with Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and in the Chicago community at...

AUSL joined DePaul University’s College of Education for a special screening at Davis Theater in Chicago’s Lincoln Square neighborhood for the documentary film "Teacher" by Adam Gacka. The film follows Chicago Teacher Residency (CTR) alumni Chelsea Bennett and Nkanga Nsa at Curtis School of Excellence on the south side of Chicago. It highlights their daily routine as educators and brings to light some of the realities of being a teacher in an underserved school community. Nkanga changed her career to pursue education and was inspired from the COVID-19 pandemic, current world events and...

AUSL leads professional development sessions throughout the year for all members involved with the Chicago Teacher Residency (CTR) program including Residents, Mentors and Principals from our CTR Partnership School Training Sites. These sessions play a key role in building community and a strong professional network for educators and school leaders to learn new and effective strategies to apply in their relationships, classrooms and school communities.  The ultimate goal is for Residents to successfully complete the CTR program and be fully prepared teachers in CPS. “It’s important for...

Throughout the year, the Chicago Teacher Residency distributes CTR Values Awards to current Residents that embody three values: Student-Centered, Community-Focused, and Tenacious Service. CTR staff celebrated the following award recipients in September and October during Residents’ Professional Development meetings. Congratulations to these well-deserving award recipients! Max Carroll (Community-Focused) "Max always makes a priority to thank the many communities for their service outside of the school grounds. Whether it’s a librarian, janitor, or a CTA conductor, he pays his respects. He...