Brenda Cora

ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Support Team

About – Brenda Cora

Brenda Cora serves as the Chief Executive Officer of ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï, the largest charter school network in Illinois. As a proud alumnus of ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï¡¯s founding class, a former dean of students, principal, and chief schools officer, Brenda has been a pillar of the ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï community for the past 25 years and has been fully committed to serving Chicago¡¯s youth as a lifelong educator.?

As ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï¡¯s CEO, Brenda oversees the strategy, operations, and academic results of an organization of over 12,500 students and 1,400 staff across 17 campuses. Nationally renowned for preparing its students¡ª98% students of color and 89% from under-resourced communities¡ªto be accepted to and graduate from college, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï represents 12% of all CPS high schoolers.?

Brenda began her career in East Garfield Park/West Humboldt Park at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï¡¯s Rowe-Clark Math & Science Academy, where she eventually served as principal for six years. As principal, Brenda managed her leadership team and utilized continuous-improvement frameworks based on cultural responsiveness to engage in data-based problem-solving and decision-making. During her tenure, she was able to improve student retention and academic growth significantly and pushed Rowe-Clark¡¯s CPS School Quality Rating to a Level 1. In 2017-2018, under Brenda¡¯s leadership, Rowe-Clark achieved citywide recognition for attaining the 10th-highest overall SAT growth and the 3rd-highest for African-American students in CPS. During her time as Chief Schools Officer, Brenda Cora was tasked with working alongside multiple stakeholders to ensure that ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï fulfills its mission, where all students have equitable and positive school experiences that equip them to succeed on the path of their choice, leading to 75% of alumni completing college.?

Brenda is an alum of ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Street College Prep¡¯s very first graduating class, where she graduated at the top of her class and went on to earn a B.A. in economics with a concentration in gender and women¡¯s studies at Grinnell College.

Ensuring Positive and Equitable School Experiences for ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Students Across Chicago

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