The Academy for Urban School Leadership (AUSL) gathered with sponsors, supporters and friends for an evening of celebration on Tuesday, April 29 at Offshore Rooftop at Navy Pier in Chicago’s Streeterville neighborhood. Guests were in attendance to celebrate the passionate educators that empower and support our students everyday.
“In my career I’ve spoken to hundreds of school district superintendents across the country,” said AUSL Executive Director Adam Case, “what I heard over and over again was how they were desperate for high-quality teachers.”
“That’s why I joined AUSL, an organization that I believe has real answers to the teacher shortage affecting our nation. When a child has an AUSL teacher, they have a dedicated practitioner. They have someone committed to building relationships and a high-quality learning environment.”
The event was a vibrant evening ignited by our mission to recruit and train high-quality teachers to staff high-needs CPS schools.
AUSL Board Chair Cardelle Spangler started the evening with an introduction to our guests, energized by community and celebration.
“Nights like these remind me of why I was drawn to AUSL. We believe deeply that every child, no matter where they live, should be entitled to harness their path to power. We know that one of the indispensable keys to unlocking that power is having classrooms full of inspiring, highly-trained, quality teachers who care about their students and their futures.”
Powerful moments of the evening celebrated the impact of our award recipients Dr. Janice K. Jackson and Jasmyne Portee-Haywood.
Dewey School of Excellence Principal Charlene Reynolds presented Jasmyne Portee-Haywood with our inaugural Teacher of Excellence Award along with some of Mrs. Portee-Haywood’s former students.
“She is more than an educator. She is a force of nature in the classroom,” said Principal Charlene Reynolds.
“She doesn’t just impart knowledge, she ignites joy and a passion for learning in each and every one of her students. She speaks life into the dreams, futures, and creativity of her students.”
Nyla Harris, Talia Roper, Markell Williams, and Asuneraye Wooten joined our AUSL Benefit Dinner to share some of their fondest memories of being in Mrs. Portee-Haywood’s classroom.
“She has always been a very inspiring role model to me,” said Asuneraye Wooten. “From her teaching to her amazing outfits, imagination, and care for her students, she will always be one of the key members in making sure her students succeed and become better than they are.”
“I wanted to become the teacher that too many times I did not have. I wanted to be the type of teacher that students deserve,” said Mrs. Portee-Haywood.
“I teach because the future of the world is in my classroom. I teach because classrooms are sacred places of transformation and more than just four walls, they are home.”
AUSL Board Member Arnie Rivera continued our program and introduced our AUSL Teacher Residency highlight video of Ms. Kiara Clark, 5th and 6th grade special education teacher at Deneen School of Excellence in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood.
A former Deneen student, Ms. Clark returned to train as a resident teacher in the AUSL Teacher Residency program. Today, she’s come full circle — teaching in the very classrooms where she once learned and trained, and making a powerful impact on her students every day.
AUSL Annual Benefit Dinner Co-Chair David Vitale presented Dr. Janice K. Jackson with our 2025 Champion Award, honoring her career-long commitment to student success.
“It’s incredibly important for AUSL to do this work at this time. I ask of you to think about what’s possible in the future. Whenever I talk with school leaders about the biggest issues facing education today, the first obstacle they mention is not having enough teachers to deliver the high-quality instruction that students deserve,” said Dr. Jackson.
Thank you to the staff, students, and administration of Solorio Academy High School for sharing their creative STEAM projects and customizing gifts for our guests from their Makerspace program.
We hope AUSL’s Annual Benefit Dinner left you inspired by our mission and excited for the expanded impact we will reach together.
Revisit the special moments that made our Annual Benefit Dinner here!
Thank you to all of our donors, partners, supporters, friends, and AUSL community at large for making it possible to recruit, train, and support high-quality teachers. We look forward to all that we will accomplish to create a lasting and growing change.
Watch the full 2025 AUSL Annual Benefit Dinner video below:
