After 20 years of serving students in Chicago and 13 years serving students in Northwest Indiana, Teach For America is expanding its impact into the city of North Chicago this fall. Over the next several months, we will assign several corps members to serve in North Chicago. This is just the beginning of our commitment to District 187 (D187).

This partnership also necessitates a new name for the region: Teach For America Greater Chicago–Northwest Indiana (previously Teach For America Chicago–Northwest Indiana) is a title that we are proud to say embodies everyone we serve and leaves space for continued growth in the future.

“The long, rich history of North Chicago lends itself to a very strong sense of community pride,'' says Dr. John Price, superintendent of D187. “The smaller size of the district means there is a high engagement from all levels of leadership. Even those in the most senior positions are in the classrooms and forming personal relationships with teachers and students everyday. I am thrilled to welcome Teach For America into our community.”

D187 has been working tirelessly to realize an excellent education for all students but the reality is that the students have been underserved for a generation. Despite the many challenges faced by D187, it is a district on the rise, thanks to a committed coalition of district leaders, community members, and educators who are focused on student achievement, social and emotional learning, and culturally affirming teaching practices.

Over the last three years, D187 has enacted dramatic improvements in professional culture, salaries, and in teacher retention, engagement, and satisfaction. We are ready to support the district in its quest to expand opportunities for the students of D187 that are typically only afforded to high income students and put those students on track to be competitive for the jobs of the future. We are committed to helping D187 staff high-need positions in special education and STEM as well as supporting their recruitment efforts in hiring a diverse cohort of educators. 

TFA is setting its North Chicago corps members up to thrive with the district’s strong commitment to teacher development through shared resources, instructional coaches and a teacher mentor program. Corps members will work alongside a dedicated coach, who will be charged with supporting their development within the unique context of the region and deepening partnerships with the North Chicago community. We are dedicated to making an immediate impact in classrooms by placing corps members in the district and a long-term impact at the systems-level through sustained alumni leadership.

“We are so proud to partner with District 187, a district on the rise with strong strategic priorities that are closely aligned to our own program,” says Aneesh Sohoni, executive director of Teach For America Greater Chicago–Northwest Indiana. “We know our students and families want to live a future filled with possibility in North Chicago and we are hopeful that we can be a part of the solution.”