AP Appreciation Week | This Week, We Shine a Light on Our Amazing APs!
This AP Appreciation Week, we’re celebrating the assistant principals driving real change across Chicago Public Schools—one conversation, one student, and one system at a time.
If you want to see what school leadership really looks like, watch an AP at work. They’re the ones balancing student needs with staff dynamics, translating district strategy into real-world execution, and making sure nothing—and no one—falls through the cracks.
Across CPS, APs are pushing the work forward with limited time, limited resources, and unlimited determination. And while they don’t always get the spotlight, their impact is undeniable.
At Innovare, we’re proud to work alongside these leaders every day. We see how they use data to strengthen their MTSS processes, how they show up for their teams, and how they make smart, strategic decisions—faster. And we know they don’t do it alone.
Our implementation leads are in the work with them, helping schools streamline the noise, focus on what matters, and stay one step ahead of the next big decision.
The Center of the Work—Even When They’re Behind the Scenes
In Chicago Public Schools, Assistant Principals are the ones translating district vision into real-world progress. They bridge the gap between strategy and execution—showing up for students, staff, and families in a thousand different ways every day.
They lead MTSS efforts. They dive deep into student data. They coach teachers, coordinate services, navigate crises, and still find time to ask how someone’s doing. They’re not just multitaskers—they’re momentum-makers.
And they do it all without needing the spotlight.
💬 “As a new AP, it can be overwhelming to navigate so many different platforms just to find information on a single student. The idea that Innovare brings everything together in one place is a huge relief.”
—Sheronda Williams, Harvard Elementary (CPS)
The truth is, APs are often the first to spot what’s working—and the first to step in when something’s off. They’re the connective tissue in school systems, making sure no detail gets missed and no student slips through. When we talk about school leadership that actually drives impact, we’re talking about them.
The Innovare AP Appreciation Partnership: Built for the Way APs Lead
When you’re leading from the middle, access to clear, real-time data isn’t a luxury—it’s how you stay ahead. For APs juggling MTSS, ILT meetings, family engagement, and more, the right tools don’t just save time—they create space for stronger decisions.
That’s why our customer service department works directly with APs, side by side, to make sure the platform fits the way they lead. From setup to strategy, we’re there to simplify the process, surface what matters, and keep the focus on students—not spreadsheets.
💬 “Innovare streamlines our data so we can jump straight into decision-making during our ILT meetings, instead of spending hours sorting through spreadsheets. The student profiles give us a full picture—from assessments to attendance—so we know exactly how to support each child.”
—Nikole Lewis-Dickens, Brown STEM Elementary (CPS)
This isn’t about dashboards—it’s about clarity. It’s about making decisions faster, leading with confidence, and having a partner in the process.
Turning Strategy Into Systems That Work
Across CPS, APs aren’t just interpreting strategy—they’re implementing it. They’re the ones turning school improvement plans into real-time actions, making sure supports are in place, meetings are purposeful, and decisions are grounded in data, not guesswork.
That level of leadership takes clarity, coordination, and a deep understanding of what students and staff need day to day.
💬 “Alejandra and the Innovare team made the data process so smooth. From helping us export key reports to walking us through how to use the dashboard effectively, we felt supported the entire time.”
—Melanie Hubbard, Tanner Elementary (CPS)
This is the work of implementation: building systems that stay aligned under pressure, and leading teams that move with purpose. APs are doing that work every day—quietly, consistently, and with lasting impact.
Turning Insight Into Action—Fast and with Focus
We spend time with AP Appreciation knowing that APs don’t have the luxury of waiting for the right moment. They’re constantly making decisions—on the fly, in the hallway, during team meetings—and those decisions shape everything from student outcomes to school culture.
What sets great APs apart isn’t just their ability to gather information—it’s how quickly they turn insight into action.
💬 “What I love about Innovare is it allows us to see the entire school in one place—in a colorful place, because teachers love that—but it also allows us to drill down to the people, the faces behind the data. It allows us to provide the support that we might not have seen was needed as quickly if we were compiling the data ourselves.”
—Cassandra Pollard, Lawndale Community Academy (CPS)
💬 “Through our partnership with Innovare, we harness data-driven insights to strengthen conversations and decisions that fuel our MTSS process and support every student’s success.”
—Alex Dakessian, McCutcheon STEAM Elementary (CPS)
From supporting MTSS to leading equity conversations, APs are the ones making sure every data point turns into something actionable—and they’re doing it with clarity, urgency, and care.
Celebrating the Leaders Who Make It All Work
In every CPS school, there’s someone quietly making sure things run. Someone who sees the big picture but knows every detail. Someone who translates goals into growth—and does it all while showing up for students, staff, and families.
That someone is the Assistant Principal.
They’re not just holding things together. They’re building systems, cultivating culture, and keeping the work aligned—even when it’s hard, even when it’s thankless. They’re the leaders in the middle—and without them, nothing moves forward.
At Innovare, we’re honored to work alongside these changemakers. Their leadership isn’t just operational—it’s transformational. And while AP Appreciation Week is one moment to pause and celebrate, the truth is: their impact deserves recognition every day.
Let’s keep lifting their voices. Let’s keep learning from their leadership. And let’s make sure they have the tools, support, and visibility they need to keep driving the work.
