Executive Director of advanced learning & Specialty Programs
about Errika
Errika Baker is the Executive Director of Advanced Learning & Specialty Programs for Chicago Public Schools. Prior to leading the Department of ALSP, 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.
Brittany Guy
Senior Manager of specialty programs
About Brittany
Brittany Guy is the Senior Manager of Specialty Programs for Chicago Public Schools. Most recently, she served as the Program Manager for Personalized Learning for Winston-Salem/Forsyth County Schools in North Carolina, leading the development and implementation of the program with a goal to leverage personalized learning to create equitable learning experiences across the district. In her years of experience teaching, coaching, and leading, Brittany has focused on building relationships and providing the individual support needed to grow each learner. As a teacher, she was selected for the NC Governor’s Teacher Network, spending a year engaged in action research focused on personalized professional learning. More recently, she served North Carolina as a PL Champion in the development of the state plan for scaling the personalized learning approach, providing support for districts across the state. She is excited to combine her previous experience with new learning in CPS to effectively support educators in Chicago.
Lydia DiSabatino
Data Strategist
about lydia
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.
Savannah Bell
PL PROGRAM SUPPORT SPECIALIST
about savannah
Savannah began her career in education as a 4th grade math teacher at Bradwell School of Excellence in Chicago’s South Shore Neighborhood. She then taught both 4th and 5th grades at The University of Chicago Charter School - Donoghue Campus. During her time at Donoghue, Savannah had the wonderful opportunity to be a part of her school’s core design team, where she worked with administration to develop a whole school redesign blueprint and became a Full Implementation Grant Awardee as part of LEAP’s Breakthrough Schools Cohort II. Savannah transitioned into the role of multi-classroom leader (instructional coach) where she was charged with coaching and development of teachers, as well as facilitating the adoption of Personalized Learning from pilot classrooms to whole school at Donoghue. Savannah is excited to return to Chicago after spending a year in Boston studying School Leadership at Harvard Graduate School of Education and working as a resident principal at a fully inclusive elementary school in Boston’s West Roxbury Community. Savannah is extremely enthusiastic about Competency Based Learning at an elementary level and passionately believes that Personalized Learning is what will urgently transform America’s education system into one which provides equitable schools and opportunities for ALL children.
Jessica David
PL PROGRAM SUPPORT SPECIALIST
about Jessica
Jessica David is thrilled to be joining the Personalized Learning Team 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 served on her school's Instructional Leadership Team. Jessica also holds a Masters of Arts in Teaching as well as a Masters in Educational Leadership. Jessica is eager to bring her knowledge and skills to her new role on the PL Team!
Natalie Kastrup
PL PRogram Support Specialist
about Natalie
Natalie Kastrup is a recent addition to the Personalized Learning Team. After earning her degree in Elementary Education from the University of Evansville with endorsements as a reading specialist and middle school social studies teacher, Natalie spent 12 years in the classroom, serving large, diverse populations in Detroit, San Jose, and for the past 4 years Chicago. While teaching in San Jose Natalie earned her English as a Second Language endorsement, and she is currently working on completing her Masters in Educational Leadership. Natalie’s passion for personalized learning began in San Jose where she taught at a constructivist magnet school with deep commitment to project based learning, social and emotional learning, and student agency. She was also a leader in creating and piloting learner profiles and personal learning paths. Natalie is excited to share her knowledge and experiences with personalized learning to help schools become more equitable places for ALL students.