AUSL Blog
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Chicago’s Need for Special Education Teachers
If you’re considering a career as a teacher, you might find the most rewarding opportunities in special education. Over the past decade, Chicago and the nation have experienced a severe shortage of special education teachers. Special education teachers work with students who have a wide range of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities. In 2019–20, the number of students ages 3–21 who received special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) was 7.3 million, or 14 percent of all public-school students. Data shows that black and brown and students are identified with a disability at a 40 percent higher rate. According to the most recent federal data available, just over 82 percent of special education teachers in public schools are white, while only about half of students receiving special education services are white, according to 2017-18 data. Yet teacher diversity matters: decades of research has shown that students often perform better academically when they are taught by teachers of the same race. All teachers need to be patient and understanding, but these traits are even more essential for special education teachers, as a teacher and student will often spend extra time and energy on a single task. […]
A Return to School Perspective from the Academy for Urban School Leadership
As Chicago Public Schools students head back to the classroom this month for their first full-time, in-person learning experience in 17 months, many will be grappling with significant learning and social emotional loss. After schools transitioned to remote learning in March 2020 and only partially reopened in spring 2021, an alarming number of students were absent from their classes and/or earned failing grades. Additionally, the isolation and stresses of stay-at-home protocols created gaps in their social-emotional skills. This is especially true in low-income communities on the South and West Sides. One analysis showed that the same public high schools with the highest rise in Fs and declines in attendance serve almost entirely low-income students and students of color. These students and their families experienced the traumas of illness and loss, as well as food, housing and economic insecurity at higher rates. The cumulative impact of these obstacles raises concern that students, especially low-income children of color and those with special needs, will face challenges reacclimating to in-person learning. The key to helping children regain their academic and social-emotional footing lies at the heart of the classroom – teachers. Well-trained, highly effective teachers not only bring academic rigor to classrooms, but […]
Twenty years of Transforming Lives in and out of the Classroom
AUSL is an equity-focused non-profit that works tirelessly with the belief that all students should have access to an excellent education. Since 2001, AUSL’s conviction for equity in education has impacted thousands of students and families who reside in under-resourced communities. This weekend the Chicago Teacher Residency celebrated the graduation of Diverse Learner, Elementary, and Middle School teachers. Hear from CTR graduate Amaziah Burton, class of 2021, on why she chose to become a resident in AUSL’s Chicago Teacher Residency. AUSL’s Chicago Teacher Residency has trained 1,218 teachers. Over 80% of our 2021 CTR class graduates are teachers of color, and 54% are special needs teachers. With your support, AUSL will continue to leverage our innovative expertise by training high-quality teachers to serve in schools with the greatest need and face higher levels of teacher turnover.
AUSL’s 2025 Impact Report
AUSL Friends and Supporters, Thanks to your unwavering support, 2025 was a year of meaningful growth and impact for AUSL. It was a joy to welcome a new class of resident teachers, watch them grow into confident educators, and celebrate one of our largest graduating classes in over a decade.…
Road to Graduation: Maria Pulido Discovers Purpose in the Classroom
The first time one of Maria Pulido’s students spoke to her without prompting, everything else in the room faded. The student, who is mostly nonverbal and typically only responds with support, spoke independently for the first time. “Ms. Pulido, my table is number 5.” It was a simple sentence. Easy…
Road to Graduation: Maria Reflects on the New Year & Her Final Semester
As the new year begins, AUSL resident teacher Maria Pullido is stepping into her final semester of the AUSL Teacher Residency, ready to continue growing and excited for graduation and her future classroom! As she crosses the halfway point, we caught up with Maria to ask her to reflect on…
2025 AUSL Teacher of Excellence Award: Jasmyne Portee-Haywood
AUSL Teacher of Excellence Award Celebrating Mrs. Jasmyne Portee-Haywood, Class of 2013 During AUSL’s Annual Benefit Dinner, Dewey School of Excellence Principal Charlene Reynolds presented first grade teacher Jasmyne Portee-Haywood with AUSL’s inaugural Teacher of Excellence Award. A CTR alumna, mentor teacher, and leader on Dewey’s Instructional Leadership Team, Mrs.…
Road to Graduation: Maria Reflects on Her First Lead Teach
Just two months into the AUSL Teacher Residency, resident teacher Maria Pullido stepped into the classroom for her first Lead Teach experience — a milestone that asks resident teachers to plan, deliver, and manage a full day of instruction on their own. For Maria, it was a moment she had…
Teaching for Transformation: Erika’s Mission to Change Lives Through Education
“I’ve always considered myself a bit of a disruptor,” said Chicago resident teacher Erika Oyinloe. “I get the opportunity to be a change maker in the classroom. I just want to make sure that as long as I’m in the room, the student with the least amount of resources will…
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AUSL’s 2025 Impact Report
AUSL Friends and Supporters, Thanks to your unwavering support, 2025 was a year of meaningful growth and impact for AUSL. It was a joy to welcome a new class of resident teachers, watch them grow into confident educators, and celebrate one of our largest graduating classes in over a decade. As we celebrate AUSL’s 25th anniversary, we are reminded that this progress is made possible by our community of supporters, strong school partners, and alumni. Today, more than 90% of our graduates remain in the classroom four years after completing the residency, many stepping into leadership roles...
Road to Graduation: Maria Pulido Discovers Purpose in the Classroom
The first time one of Maria Pulido’s students spoke to her without prompting, everything else in the room faded. The student, who is mostly nonverbal and typically only responds with support, spoke independently for the first time. “Ms. Pulido, my table is number 5.” It was a simple sentence. Easy to miss, if you did not know what it meant. But Maria did. “That was huge,” she said. “Those are the things we celebrate. Those are the big wins.Months earlier, Maria had walked into the classroom unsure of herself, still learning what it meant to lead, to teach, to reach every student in front...
Road to Graduation: Maria Reflects on the New Year & Her Final Semester
As the new year begins, AUSL resident teacher Maria Pullido is stepping into her final semester of the AUSL Teacher Residency, ready to continue growing and excited for graduation and her future classroom! As she crosses the halfway point, we caught up with Maria to ask her to reflect on how far she’s come and what she’s most excited for as she completes her residency training year:What feels like your biggest area of growth so far? Maria: “Classroom management and really building relationships.” At the start of the year, Maria admits she sometimes felt intimidated standing in front of...
2025 AUSL Teacher of Excellence Award: Jasmyne Portee-Haywood
AUSL Teacher of Excellence Award Celebrating Mrs. Jasmyne Portee-Haywood, Class of 2013 During AUSL’s Annual Benefit Dinner, Dewey School of Excellence Principal Charlene Reynolds presented first grade teacher Jasmyne Portee-Haywood with AUSL’s inaugural Teacher of Excellence Award. A CTR alumna, mentor teacher, and leader on Dewey’s Instructional Leadership Team, Mrs. Portee-Haywood brings over a decade of teaching experience and boundless joy to her first grade classroom. From daily affirmations in the mirror to using Mickey Mouse ears as a classroom tool, she creates a positive,...
Road to Graduation: Maria Reflects on Her First Lead Teach
Just two months into the AUSL Teacher Residency, resident teacher Maria Pullido stepped into the classroom for her first Lead Teach experience — a milestone that asks resident teachers to plan, deliver, and manage a full day of instruction on their own. For Maria, it was a moment she had been quietly building toward since the first day she met her students. “I felt in charge for the first time,” she shared. “In the end, instead of feeling nervous, I felt really confident.” That confidence came from preparation, trust, and the relationships she had been building with each student since...
Teaching for Transformation: Erika’s Mission to Change Lives Through Education
“I’ve always considered myself a bit of a disruptor,” said Chicago resident teacher Erika Oyinloe. “I get the opportunity to be a change maker in the classroom. I just want to make sure that as long as I’m in the room, the student with the least amount of resources will get what they need.” Growing up in Chicago, Erika felt very lucky being surrounded by educators who believed in her, poured into her, and made school a safe place throughout her K-12 experience. “When I think about my childhood and background, school kept me on a positive trajectory,” she said. “I really owe my...
From Tech to Teaching: How an AUSL Alumna Discovered her Passion for the Classroom and Leadership
Principal Mauricia Estes has always had a passion for helping others grow – empowering students and colleagues alike to discover new ways of learning and to become confident, informed members of their communities. She is just two months into her principalship at Ludwig Van Beethoven Elementary, but has built momentum throughout the various experiences in her career that prepared her for her first complete school leadership role. Before she cemented her career in education, Principal Estes was set to follow a path in the tech industry after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in computer...
AUSL Trained, CPS Made: How One Alumna Became a Force for Change
The AUSL Teacher Residency has a growing alumni community of 1,549 teachers, school leaders, and administrators that lead classrooms, teachers, and school communities with a student-centered approach. AUSL is proud to launch a new alumni series spotlighting former resident teachers and their inspiring career journeys — showcasing how AUSL alumni go on to become teacher leaders. Growing up with a mom who was an administrator and teacher, Principal Trevino-Terronez has been in schools a majority of her life. She began volunteering as a teenager for Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and...
Q&A: How AmeriCorps Made My Teacher Training Possible
AUSL’s partnership with AmeriCorps helps make it possible for resident teachers in the AUSL Teacher Residency to receive additional support as they train and complete the program. The partnership provides resident teachers with the Segal Education Award (tuition credit), childcare assistance, and free healthcare. These services help remove significant barriers for participation and make it possible for resident teachers to graduate. AUSL alumna Christy Dotson from the Chicago Teacher Residency Class of 2025 joined us for a Q&A interview sharing her experience with being an AmeriCorps...
Road to Graduation: Maria’s First Steps with her Mentor
Chicago resident teacher Maria Pulido is one step closer to making her dream come true as she meets new milestones with the AUSL Teacher Residency. The mentor teacher and resident teacher relationship is one component that makes the AUSL teacher residency program unique compared to traditional teacher preparation programs. Mentor teachers are experienced, passionate teachers that guide and push resident teachers forward. They are truly special teacher leaders who care about making a difference and training the next generation of educators. Resident teachers patiently wait until the end of...