Kyle Cole

Chief Education Officer

About ¨C Kyle Cole

For over two decades, Kyle Cole has served as a researcher, teacher, and administrator in the field of Education. Since arriving at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï in 2008, Kyle and his teams have been responsible for the development and ongoing improvement of ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï¡¯s data department (now housed under our Chief Operating Officer), department of Student Experience, department of Culture & Student Supports, the department of Student Services, and the department of Academics. Prior to ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï, Kyle served as a 9th grade history teacher and school administrator in the District of Columbia and a 6th grade English, History, and Science teacher in a boarding school setting in New Hampshire. Kyle engaged in his undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago, where he pursued and wrote his thesis on teacher collaboration in Chicago small schools and received his Masters in Education at Harvard University, where he specialized in Administration, Planning and Social Policy and, again, focused his studies on instructional improvement through teacher and district-wide collaboration.

Why do you work at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï?

I believe every student deserves a strong academic foundation and, with it, the opportunity it brings to live choice-filled lives¨Cand ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is a place where I can work alongside extremely dedicated and talented people toward that mission.

Who was your favorite teacher while growing up?

My favorite teacher was my high school social science teacher, Mr. Taucher. He had a real intensity to his teaching¡ªpassionate about the content, high expectations for engagement from every student, and overall hilarious. To this day, I¡¯m grateful to still be able to experience his intensity over coffee whenever I go home for a visit.

Favorite thing about ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï or favorite ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï moment?

One of my favorite events every year at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï is the College Recruitment Fair. I love to see all of our 11th grade students together in one space–it¡¯s a rare occurrence and, when it happens, you truly get to see how large the ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï family is and the vast impact we have throughout Chicago. In addition, I just love seeing ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï students excited and advocating for themselves and their future.

What do you/your department do at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï?

The Chief Education Officer oversees and supports the development of policy, practice, and resources for ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï¡¯s programming. I am responsible for creating a supportive environment where students engage and develop academically and socially at accelerated rates. In this work, I oversee the following teams:

Student Services
Focuses on supporting campus programming around Special Education & English Language Learners.

Culture & Student Supports
Focuses on supporting campus programming around areas like exclusionary practices and compliance, restorative practices, mental health counseling, substance misuse counseling, and third-party coordination for student mentoring and interventions.

Academics
Focuses on network-wide and campus support related to assessment, curriculum, instruction, and professional development, all aligned to The ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï Classroom.

Student Experience
Focuses on supporting our campuses around areas like Advisory, establishing strong systems of Multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS), promotion (including attendance), and retention. In addition, this department oversees The ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï League, ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï¡¯s vehicle for over 1,500+ academic and athletic competition-based events.

Start at ºÚÁÏÍø±¬³Ô¹Ï?

2008

Hometown:

Port Washington/Saukville, Wisconsin

Education:

University of Chicago (B.A. in Political Science)
Harvard University (M.Ed. in Administration, Planning, & Social Policy)