The Illinois Network of Charter Schools congratulates Lindsey Robinson, recipient of Accelerate Institute’s 2019 Ryan Award for exceptional school leadership. Robinson earned the national award for her work as principal of Chicago International Charter School (CICS) Avalon campus.
“Charter public school principals like Ms. Robinson are helping transform the lives of thousands of children, and we, along with CICS, congratulate her on this very well-deserved honor,” said Andrew Broy, INCS president.
Under Robinson’s leadership, CICS Avalon became the second highest-performing Illinois elementary school serving a student body that is 98 percent African American and 93 percent low-income. Among Illinois schools with similar demographics, CICS students outperform city and state averages on PARCC math and reading exams.
Robinson became principal at CICS Avalon in 2014 and now works for ReGeneration Schools as associate managing director.
“Lindsey is an outstanding educator and her accomplishments at CICS Avalon are tremendous. We are grateful for her talent and commitment, and to the Accelerate Institute for recognizing her leadership,” CICS CEO Elizabeth Shaw stated in a CICS and Accelerate joint news release.
Robinson earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and became a member of Teach For America. After completing her TFA corps experience, Robinson joined the staff at Providence Englewood Charter School and was featured in the award-winning documentary, “The Providence Effect.” At CICS, Robinson was the first teacher to score 100 percent of her demonstrated contribution on a teacher evaluation scale, started the SOAL (Summer Opportunity of a Lifetime) program, and served as department chair for three years. During this time, Robinson earned two master’s degrees in education from the University of Illinois at Springfield and DePaul University.
Robinson is the second of two Ryan Award winners to be announced this year. Winners are nominated by education leaders across the country. Nominees must be K-12 principals for at least four years with a measurable record of consecutive student achievement growth.