OFFICE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING · DEPT. OF ALSP

Meet the ALSP Team

MEET THE LEADERS AND SPECIALISTS SUPPORTING ADVANCED LEARNING AND SPECIALTY PROGRAMS ACROSS CPS SCHOOLS.

OUR TEAM

Who Are We?

Each member of our department brings a unique perspective, a variety of experiences and talents, and an unwavering dedication to serving Chicago’s children and families. ​All together, we have 372 years of experience in the field of education, 273 years of experience serving Chicago Public Schools, 225 years of experience teaching students of all ages from Pre-K to University, and 203 years of experience leading others. Learn more about each member of our department below.

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Department Leadership

Errika Baker Perkins

Executive Director of Advanced Learning & Specialty Programs

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Dr. Errika Baker Perkins
Executive Director of Advanced Learning & Specialty Programs
Dr. Errika Baker Perkins currently serves as Executive Director of Advanced Learning & Specialty Programs for Chicago Public Schools. In this capacity, she directs the support, implementation, scale, and sustainability of a diverse portfolio of district-wide programs, including International Baccalaureate, Advanced Placement, Personalized Learning, Competency-Based, Magnet, and Gifted programs.Her strategic leadership ensures the effective delivery of these programs across the district.

Before transitioning to a central office leadership role, Errika served for four years as an elementary school principal, where she led a transformative personalized learning redesign process. This work was recognized with a Breakthrough Schools Award from Next Generation Learning Challenges.Earlier in her career, she helped develop a public Montessori school in Chicago, serving as Program Director, a founding staff member, and a PreK–3rd grade teacher.

Errika earned a B.A. in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, an M.A. in Elementary Education from Chicago State University, and a Ph.D. in Educational Administration - Leadership, Equity, and Inclusion from Illinois State University.

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Brittany Guy

Director of Specialty Programs

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Brittany Guy
Director of Specialty Programs
Brittany Guy is the Director of Specialty Programs for Chicago Public Schools. Since joining CPS in 2019, she has expanded her support from initially working with the personalized learning program to include schools with a variety of specialty programs.

In her current role, she focuses on ensuring program quality across schools with gifted, personalized learning, and magnet programs, including those currently implementing a federal Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP) grant.

Before moving to Chicago, Brittany served as the Program Manager for Personalized Learning for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in North Carolina. There, she led the development of a program designed to create differentiated, student-led learning experiences, as well as shifts in early elementary grading practices. With a background as a middle school math teacher and instructional coach, she has focused on providing individualized support to help every learner grow. She contributed to North Carolina’s plan for scaling personalized learning, was a member of the NC Governor’s Teacher Network for action research on personalized professional learning, and served as a working group member for the EdTech Genome Project focused on professional learning.

Brittany is dedicated to fostering high-quality learning experiences for all students across Chicago.

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Maram Sweis

Director of Advanced Learning 

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Maram Sweis
Director of Advanced Learning
Maram is a passionate educator with experience in stateside and international teaching, program and curriculum coordination, and school and district-level leadership spanning PK–12.

She currently serves as the Director of Advanced Learning in the Department of Advanced Learning and Specialty Programs at Chicago Public Schools, where she leads the district's vision for Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) programs. In this role, she guides a team of managers and specialists and collaborates across departments to expand access, strengthen instructional support, and ensure that rigor is both inclusive and sustainable across CPS schools.

Prior to becoming Director, Maram served as the Manager of Advanced Learning and previously as the District IB Coordinator for high schools. Her work is grounded in a commitment to educational equity. Maram is especially focused on increasing access to AP and IB for historically underrepresented student groups, removing systemic barriers and closing opportunity gaps so that all students can thrive in advanced coursework.

She is also a graduate of the Partners in Policymaking Leadership Training, a nationally recognized program that deepened her advocacy for disability rights and strengthened her capacity to influence education policy and systems change at the state and federal levels.

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Department Managers

Laura Massier

Manager of Incubation and
​Certification

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Laura Massier
Manager of Incubation and Certification
Laura Massier is the Manager of Incubation and Certification on ALSP. Her teaching career began immediately after high school when she was given the opportunity to shadow in Chicago Public Schools as a Golden Apple Scholar.

Prior to coming to Central Office, Laura taught at Walt Disney Magnet School and served as a school counselor and case manager at John C. Coonley Elementary. In 2018, she joined the CPS Personalized Learning Team as a Personalized Learning SEL Support Specialist. In this role, she developed her skills in helping schools grow their programs, contributed to the creation of the Personalized Learning Framework and Continuum, and assisted schools in assessing their own program development. She was thrilled to take on the work of helping schools develop and assess their programs in an official capacity in 2022 when she accepted her current role.

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Preston Lewis

Manager, Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP)

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Preston Lewis
Senior Program Manager, Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP)
Preston Lewis is the Project Director for the CPS Magnet Schools Assistance Program (MSAP). He brings over twenty years of experience as an educator within the district to this role and manages both of the district’s MSAP grants.

He understands the importance of empowering administrators and educators to be creative and innovative in moving teaching and learning forward.

Preston taught middle school for nine years before working as a STEM instructional coach for four years. He transitioned to the Office of Teaching and Learning in 2017 as an elementary science specialist and has worked the past seven years managing the district's MSAP grants. He completed his undergraduate degree in civil engineering at the Illinois Institute of Technology and his Masters in Teaching at National Louis University.

He is excited to be a part of this team as they collectively serve our school communities to develop the interests, strengths and talents of our learners.

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Savannah Bell

Manager of  Personalized & Competency-Based Learning

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Savannah Bell
Manager, Personalized & Competency-Based Learning
Savannah began her career as a 4th and 5th grade teacher on the South Side of Chicago. She was part of a four-person team that reimagined their school through the Next Generation Learning Challenge Breakthrough Schools Competition. The team developed a transformation plan and received over 300K in grant funding. She led coaching and staff development to expand personalized, competency-based learning from pilot classrooms to a full school model.

Savannah is passionate about personalized, competency-based learning and believes it is key to providing a high-quality education for all students.

She holds a BBA in Finance from the University of Cincinnati and an MEd in School Leadership from Harvard Graduate School of Education. She has served as a teacher, school-based coach, resident principal, and district personalized learning specialist.

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Department Specialists

Anyiné Galvan-Rodriguez

IB Program Support
​Specialist

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Anyiné Galván-Rodríguez
IB Program Support Specialist
Proud CPS graduate, Anyiné Galván-Rodríguez is an accomplished educator and International Baccalaureate (IB) Program Support Specialist with extensive experience in curriculum development, program management, and adult learning facilitation. Her expertise spans world language education, culturally responsive curriculum design, and best practices for Montessori and IB Middle Years Programmes (MYP).

Her professional journey includes roles as an IB Program Coordinator and Spanish teacher, where she developed innovative project-based curricula tailored to heritage speakers and language learners. As an IB Programme Coordinator, she led a team of twenty-one teachers and built systems for the school to successfully reach IB authorization.

In her role as an IB Program Support Specialist, she grounds her coaching and support of IB school communities in equity and high-quality education for all students.

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Amanda Porter

Personalized & Competency Based Learning Support Specialist

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Amanda Porter
Personalized & Competency-Based Learning Program Support Specialist
Amanda Porter is a Specialist supporting Personalized Learning and Competency-Based Education in the Department of Advanced Learning and Specialty Programs (ALSP) within the Office of Teaching & Learning at Chicago Public Schools. She works alongside school leaders and teacher teams to create student-centered, equity-driven learning models that support every learner's growth.

Over her 13 years in education, Amanda has been a primary and intermediate classroom teacher in a CPS personalized learning school, as well as a personalized learning coordinator. She holds a BS in Elementary Education from Illinois State University and an MA in Curriculum and Instruction, and is passionate about helping schools build environments where students feel empowered to take charge of their learning and future.

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Ashley Threatt

Personalized & Competency Based Learning Support Specialist

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Ashley Threatt
Personalized and Competency-Based Specialist
Ashley Threatt is a Personalized and Competency-Based Education Specialist. She partners with school leaders, coordinators, and educators to design equitable, student-centered learning experiences that honor student voice, provide multiple pathways to proficiency, and use data to inform meaningful instructional decisions.

Ashley earned her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education from Bradley University in 2014, where she co-founded the Multicultural Peer Mentoring Program to promote the retention and success of racially diverse students. She then earned her Master's in Urban Education from National Louis University in 2015 through the Academy for Urban School Leadership's teacher residency program.

Prior to joining the district team, Ashley taught 6th–8th grade math at Sherman School of Excellence for six years, where she led the creation of school-wide systems and structures, introduced new technology to increase student engagement, and coached teachers in classroom management and instructional strategies—all while centering students' social-emotional needs through strong relationship-building.

In 2021, Ashley became a school-based Personalized Learning Coordinator. In 2023, she transitioned into her current districtwide role to expand her impact.

Ashley's work is grounded in her passion for equity, data-driven decision-making, and cultivating learning environments where both students and educators can thrive.

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Brittany Goldsby Zen

Gifted Support Specialist

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Brittany Goldsby Zen
Gifted Program Support Specialist
Brittany Goldsby Zen is a gifted program support specialist for Chicago Public Schools. After earning her bachelor's degree in English, Secondary Education at NC A&T State University, Brittany served Guilford County Schools in NC for 7.5 years as a 9–12 English Language Arts teacher. During that time, she took note of the rich international diversity of the school and sought to improve her practice in globalizing curriculum to be culturally responsive through becoming a Fulbright Teachers for Global Classrooms fellow, which led to international field experience in Peru schools and two teacher resource publications.

As English department chair, Brittany began to notice trends in certain student groups being underrepresented in honors and Advanced Placement courses. In collaboration with her colleagues, she contributed to revising the pacing of each grade level's scope and sequence and applying differentiation practices to create pathways to access and early exposure to more rigorous content for all students beginning in 9th grade.

While earning her master's in curriculum & instruction at Florida International University, Brittany served Broward County Schools in FL for 5.5 years as an ELA teacher. There, she transformed the pacing of the ELA content for the department once again and helped to close demographic gaps in the number of students earning college credit through their Cambridge exams.

Serving an internationally diverse school once again, Brittany was inspired to discover how students could become more globally conscious citizens through a fellowship with the Pulitzer Center. This learning led to a published ELA unit grounded in covering an underreported story and an affinity for seeking out underrepresented voices when building lessons.

Brittany brought all her passion and experience to this role for CPS in 2023 and is delighted to see her support make a difference for teachers and school leaders in refining their programs to better serve their students.

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Colbi Holliday

Gifted Support Specialist

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Dr. Colbi Holliday
Gifted Support Specialist
Dr. Colbi Holliday is an equity-driven educator with over 11 years of experience in curriculum design, instructional leadership, and gifted education. As a Gifted Support Specialist at Chicago Public Schools, she leads districtwide initiatives to enhance gifted programming through strategic coaching, professional development, and research-informed curriculum design. Her work centers on expanding access and opportunity for advanced learners, especially those historically underrepresented in gifted programs.

Dr. Holliday earned her Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction, where her research focused on equity-oriented curriculum design for underrepresented gifted students in urban school systems. Her academic work strengthens her practical leadership, blending theory and practice to drive systemic change.

Throughout her career, she has contributed to districtwide curriculum tools and presented on equitable differentiation strategies at professional learning series and conferences.

She holds additional degrees in Educational Leadership and Elementary Education and is certified in multiple states with endorsements in administration and gifted education. Dr. Holliday's commitment to inclusive excellence continues to shape schools, inspire educators, and transform opportunities for gifted learners across diverse communities.

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Crystal McIntosh

Advanced Placement Program Support Specialist

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Crystal McIntosh
Advanced Placement Program Support Specialist
Crystal serves as an AP Program Support Specialist for Chicago Public Schools, where she partners with administrators to strengthen AP programs through data-driven conversations and develops professional learning for AP educators. Her work centers on designing inclusive learning environments and aligning educational practices with the district's equity goals. Crystal is grounded in ensuring equitable access to and success within AP courses across the district and is passionate about removing barriers that prevent students from accessing rigorous academic opportunities.

As a first-generation college graduate, Crystal is deeply committed to advancing educational equity for Chicago's youth, especially those furthest from opportunity. She specializes in culturally responsive teaching practices, project-based learning implementation, and strategic educational planning. Her work focuses on bridging district priorities with classroom practice while ensuring that all students, regardless of background, have access to the academic rigor that prepares them for post-secondary success.

Crystal holds a Bachelor of Arts in 6–12 English/Language Arts Teacher Education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and an endorsement in English as a Second Language (ESL). Crystal's commitment to service and community engagement has been a driving force throughout her career, shaping her dedication to supporting Chicago's students and educators.

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Edward Kang

STEAM Support Specialist

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Edward Kang
STEAM Support Specialist

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Elizabeth Griffith

Magnet Support Specialist 

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Dr. Elizabeth Griffith
Magnet Program Support Specialist
Dr. Elizabeth Griffith serves as a Magnet Program Support Specialist for Chicago Public Schools, where she has spent the last eight years designing professional development that integrates national Magnet standards, instructional best practices, and programmatic themes to elevate teaching and learning.

With over 24 years of experience in CPS, as a teacher, network instructional support leader, reading coach, and administrator, Elizabeth brings a deep commitment to literacy as the foundation of student success. Her background in coaching and instruction remains a driving force in her work, ensuring high-quality reading practices are embedded across all content areas.

In recent years, Elizabeth has partnered closely with schools implementing diverse themes, including Montessori, World Language, STEM, and Technology. As a district advocate for specialty programming, she champions theme-based curriculum integration within broader district initiatives and supports schools' identities in fostering equitable, student-centered learning environments.

Elizabeth is an active partner with the National Magnet Schools of America organization, where she shares strategies and tools to help school teams move beyond daily logistics to articulate and implement their broader magnet vision. Known for her collaborative approach, she values connecting coordinators, teachers, and leaders across schools, helping them learn from each other and amplify collective impact.

Guided by her core values of service, balance, and teamwork, Elizabeth is passionate about creating the ultimate student experience by way of shared leadership and innovative curriculum.

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Jessica David

Personalized & Competency Based Learning Support Specialist

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Jessica David
PL & CBE Specialist
Jessica David joined the Personalized Learning Team as a Specialist in 2023 after 15 years in the classroom. After leaving a career in Public Relations, Jessica joined the world of education and began her Personalized Learning journey with a small cohort of teachers piloting the program at their school.

After seeing how Personalized Learning helped close the achievement gap for her students, she became an advocate for how transformational the program can be by mentoring teachers who were new to PL. Since joining Chicago Public Schools in 2019, Jessica has worked on the Curriculum Equity Initiative, created remote learning resources for the Office of Teaching and Learning, and completed a yearlong principal internship in which she served on the Instructional Leadership Team, Continuous Improvement Work Plan Committee, and school Local School Council.

Jessica holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching as well as a Masters in Educational Leadership.

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Karintha Strong

Incubation & Certification Program Support Specialist

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Karintha Strong
Incubation & Certification Program Support Specialist
Karintha's dedication to educatKarintha Strong is an Incubation & Certification Support Program Specialist with over 17 years of diverse experience in education, working with learners from infancy to adulthood. She began her career in Chicago Public Schools as a 3rd grade teacher after earning her Bachelor’s degree in elementary education.

Karintha’s dedication to coaching others led her to earn a Master’s in Education with a focus on Teacher Leadership. She improved her expertise as a grade-level team lead, where she mentored resident teachers from the Golden Apple and Teach for America programs. Her career later expanded into roles outside the district, where she taught and served as a teacher leader, specializing in data utilization and instructional development.

As a 5th-grade math and science teacher, Karintha became a passionate advocate for STEM education, enhancing student achievement and field exposure. She contributed to successful grant initiatives, helping her school gain a STEAM program. After completing a principal residency, she earned her Administrator’s License and transitioned into a STEM Instructional Coach role. In this capacity, she restructured school-wide technology systems, served on the ILT, coached teachers, and taught STEM to students in grades 3 through 8.

Karintha is thrilled to continue advocating for Chicago's students and teachers through the Teaching and Learning certification process.

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Keanon Thompson

Advanced Placement Program Support Specialist

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Keanon Thompson
AP Support Specialist
Keanon Thompson has served Chicago Public Schools for over a decade, bringing experience as both an AP teacher and, for the past five years, as an AP Support Specialist. A proud CPS elementary and high school graduate, he grounds his work in the belief that equitable access to rigorous coursework transforms student futures.

In his current role, he partners with teachers, staff, and administrators to strengthen Advanced Placement programs through culturally responsive and equity-driven practices that improve student experience and outcomes. He has collaborated with Equal Opportunity Schools to expand access and enrollment in advanced courses, while helping schools build sustainable systems that align with CPS policy and supports.

Beyond Chicago, he has represented CPS at national conferences, sharing strategies and successes that have increased AP participation and performance among historically underrepresented students. His leadership has amplified the voices of schools and students, contributing to greater awareness of how AP pathways open doors to postsecondary opportunities.

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Kellie Pittman

IB Program Support
​Specialist

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Kellie Pittman
IB Program Support Specialist

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Kiniece Stroud-Johnson

Magnet Support Specialist 

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Kiniece Stroud-Johnson
Magnet Program Support Specialist
Kiniece Stroud-Johnson currently serves as a Magnet Program Support Specialist in the Department of Advanced Learning and Specialty Programs within Chicago Public Schools. In this role, she collaborates with schools to ensure the effective integration of magnet themes into curriculum and instruction. Kiniece is committed to fostering innovative, high-quality, and student-centered learning environments through professional learning facilitation, consultations, and coaching. She works closely with school leaders and teachers to support their efforts in improving educational outcomes and creating meaningful learning experiences for all students.

With 19 years of experience in education, Kiniece holds a Master's degree in Educational Leadership, along with endorsements in Algebra, English Language Learning (ELL), and Administration. She has a strong background in supporting diverse learners and is passionate about equitable instructional practices, student engagement, and creating systems and structures that sustain these initiatives.

As an instructional coach and teacher leader in CPS, Kiniece is also honored to have participated in the Aspire Fellowship, a prestigious program focused on developing and supporting aspiring school leaders of color.

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Kristen 'Mac' Machczynski

IB Program Support Specialist

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Kristen "Mac" Machczynski (she/her)
IB Support Specialist
Kristen "Mac" Machczynski (she/her) is proud to serve as an IB District Support Specialist for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). A Michigan State University alumna (Go Green!), she holds degrees in Social Relations and Secondary Education, along with a Masters in Educational Leadership from Roosevelt University. She has maintained National Board Certification in Social Studies (AYA) since 2008.

With over 20 years in education, Mac has worked in public, private, and charter schools as a high school history teacher, IB Diploma Programme TOK teacher, and IB PYP/MYP/DP coordinator. These experiences, combined with her commitment to authenticity, empathy, trust, and relationships, shape her work as a joyful and engaging coach, facilitator, and educator.

Mac is a long-time member of the IB Educator Network, where she leads workshops, visits schools, and collaborates with global curriculum leaders. This work strengthens her ability to listen deeply, connect ideas across contexts, and bring innovative, equity-driven solutions to her role.

She believes deeply that IB is meant for all, and her work is grounded in a fierce commitment to equity, access, and belonging—ensuring that every student, regardless of background or perceived ability, can thrive within the IB framework.

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Lyndsay Whitfield

Personalized Learning Magnet Support Specialist 

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Lyndsay Whitfield
Magnet and Personalized Learning Specialist
Lyndsay Whitfield has 13 years of experience in Chicago Public Schools, all at José de Diego Community Academy, where she served as a teacher, coach, and instructional leader. She played a central role in launching Personalized Learning at Diego, beginning with the Walking Reading program and later as part of the first Multi-Classroom Leader cohort and as International Baccalaureate Coordinator. Along the way, she founded the Climate and Culture Team, led the Instructional Leadership Team, and secured multiple grants, including winning funding from The Chicago Fund to create summer programming for K–2 students and a Congressional earmark that transformed the school library into an Innovation Lab. She also advocated for green space renovations that resulted in new basketball courts and play areas. A licensed Reading Specialist and Principal with an LBS1 endorsement, Lyndsay most recently served as Diego's Personalized Learning Coordinator before stepping into her current role as a Magnet and Personalized Learning Specialist, where she brings creativity, conviction, and a commitment to equity in support of CPS schools, with a special focus on MSAP programs.

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Sara Fliehman

IB Program Support Specialist

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Sara Fliehman (she/her)
IB Program Support Specialist
Sara Fliehman (she/her) serves as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Support Specialist in Central Office for Chicago Public Schools (CPS). Sara is passionate about supporting school leaders and teachers in providing students with culturally-sustaining educational experiences and supports coordinators and administrators through providing sustained IB-aligned professional development. Sara also serves as an Evaluation Leader for the IB, supporting schools around the world in continually improving their IB programmes.

Prior to this role, Sara served as the MYP Coordinator at The Ogden International School of Chicago, a pre-K through 12th grade continuum school, and taught high school English for ten years in CPS and several courses at Northwestern University. Her other school-based leadership positions have included curriculum and instruction support coach, department chair, instructional leadership team lead, and data lead.

Sara is particularly interested in increasing people's capacity for reflective thinking and higher self-agency and is thrilled to be able to work with schools on implementing the IB, a programme she truly believes in.

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