Become a teacher in one year

Residents learn and grow alongside a mentor teacher for a full school year of 1000+ hours in the classroom

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Addressing the teacher shortage by creating excellent educators

By training and supporting passionate, high-quality new teachers we work to ensure every student has an excellent teacher and education

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Celebrating 20+ years of preparing and supporting teachers

Since 2003, the Academy for Urban School Leadership has recruited and trained 1,549 new teachers

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Serving historically underserved communities

Residents train and commit to teaching in underserved schools and hard-to-staff content areas

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The Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) recruits, trains, and supports new teachers in underserved communities to ensure every student has a great teacher and a transformative education.

Become a teacherOur Impact
Our Impact
Our Impact

Great classrooms begin with passionate, highly effective teachers

Our programs leverage two decades of learning to deliver the training, coaching, and support teachers need to grow and meet their students’ unique needs

AUSL Teacher Residency

The AUSL Residency program is a one-year teacher training program for talented professionals who believe that all students deserve a quality education. Individuals who join the program receive a scholarship to obtain a Master’s degree from a university partner and obtain in-classroom experience with guidance from expert coaches and mentors.

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AUSL Advisory Services

AUSL’s Advisory Services program is a national school advisory service that provides teaching induction, instructional coaching, and community design support to help educators and schools promote whole-child success.

 

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The Chicago Teacher Residency

AUSL’s flagship teacher residency program, The Chicago Teacher Residency, recruits and trains the next generation of high-quality teachers through a one-year teacher training program, preparing Residents to be placed in underserved, hard-to-staff positions in Chicago and Lake County.
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Fast facts

90%

Residency graduates are still teaching after 4 years

1,549

Chicago Teacher Residency Alumni

78.7%

Residents train in hard-to-staff content areas

“I’m a huge, huge fan of who you are (CTR), what you are going to do, and the AUSL family. There’s nothing more important that we can do than put great teachers into the classrooms of our children across Chicago, particularly in our most underserved communities.
Our students are going to need teachers who believe in them, who see their potential, who can help them through the stress and trauma to envision a set of possibilities way beyond what the day to day reality might feel like.
Your collective commitment and courage inspire me.”

– Arne Duncan, former Secretary of Education and CEO of Chicago Public Schools, speaking at graduation on the power of the CTR to transform educational outcomes for students

Events at AUSL

AUSL improves outcomes for students through our AUSL Residency, school supports, and advisory services. Learn more or see our work in action at an upcoming event.

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AUSL Teacher Residency Information Session

Have you been thinking about joining AUSL but want to know more? Join AUSL’s Recruitment and Admissions team for an Information Session on April 8 from 4-5 PM CT. During this session, you’ll learn about: ✅ AUSL’s mission and impact ✅ What to expect during your residency year ✅ The application process ✅ Financial assistance opportunities (over $34,000) You’ll also have the opportunity to have all of your questions answered directly by an AUSL recruiter. RSVP today and take your first step toward teaching!  
08 Apr
4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
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Ausl 25th anniversary benefit dinner

AUSL’s 25th Anniversary Benefit Dinner

AUSL’s 25th Anniversary Benefit Dinner brings together champions of AUSL’s  mission to celebrate 25 years of recruiting, training, and supporting great teachers in underserved communities. This signature event advances AUSL’s mission to prepare exceptional educators to ensure that every student has access to a high-quality education. Whether you’ve been a supporter for 25 years or you’re just joining our mission, you won’t want to miss this milestone celebration! Tuesday, April 28, 2026 6:00 PM 8:30 PM 167 Events 167 North Green Street, Chicago, IL, 60607 United States Honoring Mayor Richard M. Daley and Winston & Strawn LLP Benefit Chairs: Martin J. Koldyke Michael L. Keiser Robert E. King Mike S. Zafirovski
28 Apr
6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Offshore Rooftop at Navy Pier
1000 East Grand Avenue Chicago, IL
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In the news

Read more about AUSL’s impact in action!
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Donors like you allow us to provide Residents with critical supports that make their year of training possible

Public-private partnerships allow Residents to access the financial assistance, health care, and child care assistance that allow them to become effective educators committed to serving our most at-risk students.

Donate today