Meet the Team
The Department of Personalized Learning is comprised of talented and dedicated staff members and school-based leads.
If you would like to speak with a team member, please hover over the team member's picture to connect via email.
Kevin ConnorsDirector of Personalized Learning
BiO
Kevin Connors’ career is an intersection of business, policy, and education. A former management consultant, he previously served as a High School English teacher and Department Chair through Teach For America in St. Louis. He has also written for Education Week, covering education policy, educational technology, and venture capital. After earning a master's degree in Education Policy & Management from Harvard University, he joined Chicago Public Schools as an Education Pioneer Fellow and now serves as the Founding Director of Personalized Learning. |
Errika BakerManager of Personalized Learning
BIO
Errika Baker is the Manager of Personalized Learning for Chicago Public Schools. Prior to joining the PL Team, Errika served for nearly four years as the principal at University of Chicago Charter School - Donoghue Campus. During her tenure as principal, she led her school through a personalized learning redesign process and was a Breakthrough Schools Award Winner. In preparation for a principalship, Errika was a resident principal and received leadership training and certification through New Leaders for New Schools. Prior to the becoming a school principal, Errika served for four years as the program director of Suder Montessori, one of three public Montessori schools in Chicago, where she was previously a founding staff member and preK-3rd grade instructor. Before beginning her teaching career at Poe Classical School, she worked as a HR consultant for PriceWaterhouse Coopers. Errika is a product of CPS as she graduated from the Murray Elementary and Kenwood High School magnet and gifted programs. She is a native Chicago South Side resident, where she was born and raised. |
Samantha SemrowPL Coordinator
BIO
Samantha Semrow serves as the Personalized Learning Coordinator for CPS. A former college counselor at two high-need, majority first-generation high schools in the Chicagoland area, she has returned home to Chicago after earning a master’s degree in Education Policy and Management from Harvard University. Her passion for educational advocacy is focused on empowering learners regardless of and in response to their environment as well as improving systemic structures that create or hinder opportunities for students and their communities. She is a perpetual analyzer and avid researcher of anything and everything. |
Anthony WilliamsManager of EdTech Operations
BIO
Anthony Williams has worked in a variety of roles during his 13 year tenure at Chicago Public Schools. Beginning as a summer intern, Anthony also previously served as a Help Desk Agent, school-based Technology Coordinator, and Ed-Tech Specialist. Today he serves as the Operations Manager for Educational Technology and Personalized Learning Initiatives for CPS. With a broad range of CPS knowledge, Anthony deeply believes that every initiative, email, phone call, and face to face interaction should be in support of schools and students of CPS. Anthony takes pride in supporting schools and understanding their diverse needs. He leverages his position in central office to champion the great work of our schools. |
Lydia DiSabatinoData Analyst
BIO
Lydia DiSabatino is the Data Analyst for Personalized Learning (PL) at CPS. Prior to joining the team, she completed her PhD and MA in Sociology at Indiana University. The daughter and granddaughter of teachers, Lydia drew on this background to guide her focus on education policy during her graduate studies. Her research centered around two main areas: how top-down policies filter through large organizations, and the role of non-state actors in education policy development and promotion. While at IU, she worked on designing several research projects that gathered original nationwide data, honing her skills in both quantitative and qualitative research methods. Lydia is excited to be working on PL and other programs in the district that will help empower and support both teachers and students. |
Kevin RussellInstructional Leader
BIO
Having come from a family of educators, Kevin Russell is acutely aware of the tremendous influence educators have upon their students and the need for excellent teachers in our schools. For that reason Kevin chose to pursue a degree in Social Studies Education from Purdue University. Upon graduation, instead of immediately going into the classroom, Kevin volunteered for 10 months with Americorps; his focus was on restoring the Gulf Coast in the immediate post-Hurricane Katrina time period. This experience taught Kevin, amongst other things, how to more deeply empathize with people who are going through difficult times in their lives. Following his time with Americorps, Kevin accepted a job in Chicago through Teach for America at Hirsch and then Austin High School, where he taught and served as department chair for the next 8 years. He is currently the Instructional Leader in the Personalized Learning Department at CPS, where he empowers teachers to be lifelong learners in their pursuit of innovative school models. |
Emily ShoresInstructional Leader
BIO
Emily Shores entered the field of education as a Teach For America Corps Member, teaching Pre-K at Gresham School of Excellence on Chicago’s Auburn Gresham neighborhood. She completed her Masters of Science in Early Childhood Education and English as a Second Language Endorsement through Dominican University in 2016. Emily spent the following summer as an LRTT (Limited Resource Teacher Training) fellow, coaching and providing high-quality teacher training to educators in Ghana. Emily returned to Ghana as a LRTT team leader, recruiting, preparing, and supporting a team of 24 fellows to facilitate sustainable professional development for over 150 primary teachers in Ghana. Emily continues to advocate for educational equity as a Personalized Learning Instructional Leader for Chicago Public Schools. |
Nilufar RezaiSEL Specialist
BIO
After working as a School Counselor at a PK-5th Chicago Public School (CPS) for 4+ years, Ms Rezai was promoted in October 2016 to the role of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) specialist in the Personalized Learning department. Since college, she has worked as a K-12 educator, teacher trainer, mental health professional, and curriculum designer, and presented at local, state, and international conferences. She is certified as a PATHS Education Worldwide affiliate trainer, and a member of the Council of Distinguished Educators for the Aspen Institute’s National Commission on Social, Emotional, and Academic Development. Nilufar is an advocate for social justice, youth empowerment, and the social-emotional and spiritual education of children and adolescents. She is a member of ASCA and ISCA and has a Professional Educator License in School Counseling from DePaul University, and a Masters in Social Work from the University of Chicago-SSA. |
Sepia AdamsInstructional Leader
BIO
Educated in Chicago Public Schools, Sepia Adams is dedicated to ensuring that all learners have equal opportunities to learn and grow into global leaders. Sepia Adams attended Chicago State University where she received her B.S. in Elementary Education. She has taught 3rd-6th grade students on Chicago’s South Side, with the continued focus of promoting instructional best practices. During her 15 years as a teacher in Chicago Public Schools, Sepia fostered her love for learning by furthering her educational career as she received her M.S. in Educational Administration, an M.A. in Reading, and finally an M.S. in Educational Technology. Sepia continues her passion for student learning as a Personalized Learning Instructional Leader. She is an avid reader and is committed to a lifelong journey of learning. |
Kai MurrayInstructional Leader
BIO
Humility, agency and commitment to lifelong learning have anchored Kai’s tenure with Chicago Public Schools as a student and teacher. Prior to her role as Instructional Leader, Kai taught grades 1st-5th grades on the south and west side of Chicago for 14 years. She has also served as a mentor-resident coach training new teachers for AUSL for 6 years. Her entry to education started as a Golden Apple Scholar of Illinois. She was part of the 1st statewide class of 60 scholars which helped her to obtain a Bachelor’s in Education from Illinois State University. She also holds masters degrees in Educational Leadership and Curriculum and Instruction from the American College of Education. Kai is excited to collaborate with schools teams as they implement the personalized learning model that meets the needs of all stakeholders, and ensures that all students have viable post-secondary options. |
Michala BellSEL Specialist
BIO
Michala Bell, a graduate of University of Chicago Social Service Administration, proudly proclaims that Social Work is not just what she does, it’s who she is. Throughout her 11 year tenure with Chicago Public Schools, she has diligently provided Social Work services for students in grades Pre-Kindergarten thru 12th. In an effort to expand her reach, she served as a Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Specialist supporting 10 CPS high schools participating in a US Department of Education Promoting Student Resilience (PSR) grant in pursuit of transforming their schools into a more trauma sensitive environment. She utilized a team coaching model that enabled school leadership teams to develop a shared vision and action plan to build and implement sustainable evidence-based and trauma-informed policies and practices. The way in which Michala connects with people and inspires them to initiate action are hallmarks of her purpose driven career path. “I am continuously in pursuit of empowering others to be curious, independent, and lifelong learners.” |
Location42 W. Madison St.
Chicago, IL 60601 |
PhoneMain: 773.553.1000
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personalizedlearning@cps.edu
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