Powered Purpose by
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
Powered by Purpose
CONTENTS 3
Shaping Our Future
4
Powered by Community
6
Powered by Culture
8
Powered by People
10 Powered by Partnerships 12 Powered by Impact 14 Powered by Our Foundation 16 Thank You Staff & Board 18 Our Donors
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#
Charter Elementary School in ELA
8
# GLA performed in the
TOP 20%
2
ofLAKES Illinois Schools GREAT ACADEMY | POWERED BY PURPOSE
Charter Elementary School in Math
A MESSAGE FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR & BOARD CHAIRMAN At Great Lakes Academy, we know that the power to shape our future has always lived within our community. The wisdom, talent, and care that children need to thrive are present in our families, our educators, our students, and our neighbors. Our role is to activate that power, align it around shared purpose, and ensure it fuels opportunity for every child we serve. This past year, that collective energy fueled academic growth, expanded enrichment and wellness supports, and reinforced GLA as an anchor on Chicago’s South Side. When a school leads with high expectations
and deep care, students rise. When educators are valued and supported, schools flourish. And when neighborhood partners rally around children and families, communities prosper. GLA’s outcomes reflect a community choosing to invest in itself and hold a bold vision for its children. GLA continues to grow from within its community, drawing on what has always been present and building towards what is possible. Together, we are shaping a future powered by pride, belonging, and purpose.
“Together, we are shaping a future powered by pride, belonging, and purpose.” Ebonie Durham GLA Executive Director
Dr. Duane B. Davis GLA Board Chairman
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
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Powered by Community
25+
Professionals Inspired Students at Career Day
GLA CAREER DAY Each year, Great Lakes Academy’s Career Day transforms our cafeteria and classrooms into a living map of possibility. More than 25 professionals— from therapists and nurses to engineers, entrepreneurs, and artists—gather over breakfast before rotating through classrooms so every student can meet three different career role models.
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GREAT LAKES ACADEMY | POWERED BY PURPOSE
Families, local businesses, after-school partners, and board members all show up, united by one purpose: to help our students imagine what’s possible. By bringing the real world into our school, Career Day reminds students that success doesn’t live somewhere else—it lives right here, in their own community, and it’s within reach.
“
Career Day at GLA means a lot to me, especially because my niece is a student here. I want kids to see that there are so many careers beyond what we traditionally talk about. What I love about GLA is that this isn’t just a one-day event. They are planting seeds and helping students nurture those dreams over time.
If we keep reminding children of what they said they wanted to be, and support them along the way, those dreams start to become real.” Gina Evans, Career Day Presenter
81
%
of Students are from the Community
30+ Afterschool and Enrichment Programs
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
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Powered by Culture 20:1
Ratio Student : Teacher
86% Qualify for Free Meals
5% Multilingual Learners
13%
of Students Have IEPS
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GREAT LAKES ACADEMY | POWERED BY PURPOSE
BLACK HISTORY MONTH This year, Great Lakes Academy marked Black History Month in a powerful new way—our first-ever all-school assembly, bringing every student together in our gym for a celebration of culture, history, and pride. Students experienced Black excellence in motion: the drumline and majorettes from Butler College Prep electrified the room. The Delta Sigma Theta Chicago Alumni Association led a dynamic step performance. And teachers shared stories of their own fraternity and sorority journeys at HBCUs, expanding what students can imagine for their futures. Our K–4 dance enrichment students closed the program, reminding us that pride and potential begin early.
“ 576
GLA IS A DIVERSE COMMUNITY
Students Served
90% Black/African-American 8% 2%
Hispanic Multi-Racial, Native American or White
From the moment I walked into Great Lakes Academy, it felt like family. They didn’t just welcome my daughter—they welcomed us. Safety, community, and high expectations matter deeply to our family, and GLA lives those values every day. They listen, they support my child’s individual needs, and they celebrate who she is becoming. My daughter is excited to go to school, talking about college at six years old, and thriving academically and socially.
As a parent and an educator, I feel seen, heard, and valued here. GLA has truly kept its promise to our family.” Erika Nicole, GLA Parent
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
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4 Grow Our Own Participants and Graduates
Powered by People
300K
$
Invested in Professional Development in 2025
GROW OUR OWN PROGRAM Great Lakes Academy believes in investing deeply in the people who serve our students every day. Through our Grow Our Own program, we remove one of the biggest barriers to diversifying and strengthening the educator pipeline—cost. GLA covers tuition for staff to earn teaching degrees and
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GREAT LAKES ACADEMY || POWERED POWEREDBY BYPURPOSE PURPOSE
certifications in special education and bilingual education. We also provide flexible professional development funds and additional resources our team needs to succeed. There are no strings attached—just a shared belief that when people feel supported, they grow. By nurturing talent from within, we build a stable, culturally connected team that stays, leads, and lifts our students higher.
88
%
Staff Retention
“
81%
of Staff Feel Respected, Understood, & Included at GLA
I started at GLA as a fourth-grade math teacher, and that first year helped me build strong relationships and grow as an educator. When I moved into a support role, GLA’s leadership continued to see my potential and encouraged me to keep developing. That’s when special education clicked for me. Becoming a special education teacher brought together everything I’d done before and showed me a dream job I didn’t even know I had. GLA’s investment in my master’s degree and certification changed my life.
Now I get to support students in meaningful ways, and I truly see my future here.” Ms. Tanara Crawford GLA Learning Behavioral Specialist 2025 ANNUAL REPORT
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Powered by Partnerships
TOUCH OF WHOLENESS Great Lakes Academy makes a bold investment in mental health because learning cannot happen when children are carrying the weight of trauma alone. In the years following COVID, our youngest students were showing signs of grief, anxiety, and emotional distress— clear signals that support was urgently needed. Through our partnership with Touch of Wholeness, licensed therapists work inside our school, providing weekly, in-person counseling for students in grades K–4, with older students now included as well. Funded through Medicaid and built on family referrals, this program removes barriers to care and creates a safe space where students learn it’s okay to talk, heal, and grow.
15,000+
162 Students Receiving Behavioral Support
Hours of Counseling Provided in 2025
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GREAT LAKES ACADEMY ||POWERED POWEREDBY BYPURPOSE PURPOSE
OUR PARTNERS
“
Our partnership with Great Lakes Academy allows us to provide critical mental health support to students who might otherwise never access therapy. What makes GLA special is the true collaboration. We work closely with school staff to understand each child’s full story and create consistent, meaningful support. We see real change in students using coping strategies, fewer behavioral disruptions, and healthier communication at home. Parents share how their children are calmer, more expressive, and more connected. This work is powerful because it is shared and because GLA is deeply committed to every child’s well-being.”
Shalon Eggleston Touch of Wholeness Clinician & Behavioral Health Clinic Coordinator 2025 ANNUAL REPORT
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40
%
Alumni with Selective Enrollment Offers
Powered by Impact INCREASING ATTENDANCE We know that showing up is the first step to success, which isn’t always as simple as it may seem. Many families face barriers like transportation, childcare, and uncertainty about how much learning happens each day. We respond with relationships, not punishment. Teachers communicate with parents when students are absent, and our social work team follows up quickly to offer support. One of our most powerful tools is Race to Ten—a friendly competition among homerooms to reach ten days of perfect attendance, with field trips and prizes on the line. The excitement has transformed attendance into a shared goal, building pride, momentum, and stronger habits that help students be in school, every day. Our efforts are working: over the last four years, GLA has reduced our chronic absenteeism by more than 13 percent, and we have the highest attendance of any school in our surrounding neighborhoods.
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GREAT LAKES ACADEMY ||POWERED POWEREDBY BYPURPOSE PURPOSE
13% Reduction of Chronic Absenteeism
“
Once parents know they can trust us, they start leaning on us—and that’s when attendance changes. Kids come to school because their families feel supported, not pressured, and that’s what creates real, lasting improvement.”
Melissa Stangl School Social Worker
2024-2025 ELA Proficiency 60%
40%
50%
20%
0%
25% GLA
Neighboring Schools
GLA’s reading proficiency rates are double the average rate of neighboring public schools.
2024-2025 Chronic Absenteeism 80% 60%
48%
40%
20% 0%
21% GLA
Neighboring Schools
GLA’s chronic absenteeism is less than half the average rate of neighboring public schools.
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
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Powered by Our Foundation GLA HISTORY AND VISION FOR THE FUTURE Since its founding, Great Lakes Academy has established itself as a trusted, high-quality school rooted in community, care, and academic excellence. What began as a commitment to serve students well has grown into something bigger: a vision for what a neighborhood school can be. Looking ahead, GLA is
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GREAT LAKES ACADEMY | POWERED BY PURPOSE
building toward becoming an anchor educational institution for the entire community. That means expanding opportunities not only for students, but for families across generations, from early childhood education to parent career development and elder engagement. Guided by purpose and strengthened by partnership, we are laying the foundation for a future where learning, support, and belonging extend far beyond the classroom walls.
REVENUE
78%
STATE & LOCAL FUNDING
15% FEDERAL FUNDING 5% PHILANTHROPY 2% OTHER
PROGRAM EXPENSES
50% PERSONNEL 34%
NON-PERSONNEL
% 16 ADMINISTRATIVE & FUNDRAISING
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
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Thank You Behind every Great Lakes Academy success story is a community of educators, families, partners, and supporters who believe in what our students can become. This year,, Powered by Purpose, Purpose, your commitment helped our scholars learn, grow, and thrive in a school rooted in care, culture, and high expectations. We are grateful to our staff for their daily dedication, our Board for their leadership, and our donors and partners for their generosity. Together, you are building a brighter future for every GLA student.
STAFF Julie Alexander 5th/6th Grade Science Teacher Victoria Alexander Culture Specialist Jamie Ali K-4 Character & Fitness Teacher
Tanisier Clayborne Student Supervision Aide Brandis Clayton Virgial 1st Grade Teacher Anthony Contreras School Custodian
De’Jon Anderson Paraeducator
Alysha Coyle Social Work Intern
Stephanie Beck Assistant Principal of Operations & Programs
Tanara Crawford LBS1 Teacher
Le’Andreah Belt 5th Grade Math Teacher
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Akeem Cherry Finance Manager
Elisa Crisantos 4th Grade Teacher
Emily Garbarek Managing Director of Operations
Shirl Henry Literacy Interventionist Teacher
Shanette Gaston Kindergarten Teacher
Maria Jimenez Financial Operations Lead
Erika Gonzalez Bilingual Teacher
Jessica Johnson LBS1 Teacher
Megan Grandison LBS1 Teacher
Kiah Johnson Paraeducator
Nakia Hall-Sharpe LBS1 Teacher
Meagan Johnson Assistant Principal of Academics
Madaline Harlan Campus Operations Lead
Quincy Jones Dean of Instruction: Math
Eboni Durham Executive Director
Christina Harr ESL Teacher/ELPT Coordinator
Jessica Beristain Dean of Instruction: Literacy
JoAnn Earls Paraeducator
Brenda Hartman Flex Teacher
Jolie Blumberg 2nd Grade Teacher
Aniyah Fisher Executive Operations Coordinator
Trinity Hawkins 5th Grade ELA Teacher
Jonas Byars Paraeducator
Faith Ford 6th ELA Teacher
Shamara Hearst Teacher Assistant
Yana Long Director of Engagement
Jasmine Caston Social Worker
Dwana Gaines Flex Teacher
Shantae Hearst Culture Specialist
Kristen Marsh 4th Grade Teacher
GREAT LAKES ACADEMY | POWERED BY PURPOSE
Katie Lifka 7th/8th Grade Social Studies Teacher Gabby Littleton 6th Grade Math Teacher Lauren Livingston Paraeducator
2025 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Andy Baker Finance and Facilities Committee Chair Aparupa Bhattacharya Vice Chair Christine Chen Development Committee Chair Katherine Cherry * Board Member Duane Davis Academic Committee Chair Brad Karsh Org Health Committee Chair
STAFF CONT’D Angela Mason 2nd Grade Teacher
Catrina Reynolds LBS1 Teacher
Kenosha Thurman Paraeducator
Josh Miller Principal
Jocelyn Richardson 7th Grade ELA Teacher
Kevin Wadycki 5th and 6th Grade History Teacher
Ka’lee Robertson 3rd Grade Teacher
Ashley Walker 8th Grade Math Teacher
Zenon Mills Dean of Specialized Services Hannah Miner 2nd Grade Teacher Hannah Mombach Kindergarten Teacher Jaquet Montgomery Kindergarten Teacher Serafina Montgomery Paraeducator Bianca Murphy 3rd Grade Math Teacher
Lauren Roundtree 4th Grade Math Teacher
La’Verne Watson Paraeducator
K’La Salley 1st Grade ELA Teacher
Jleese Williams Dean of Culture and Climate
Taygeanna Seals 7th Grade Math Teacher
Taylor Winfield 8th Grade ELA Teacher
Savon Smith 3rd Grade Teacher
Jay Winters LBS1 Teacher
Caitlin O’Leary Student Programs Coordinator
Melissa Stangl Social Worker, Dean of Student and Family Support
Kathryn Paull Art Teacher
Stephanie Stuckett Paraeducator
Titus Perez 5-8 Character & Fitness Teacher, Athletic Director
Sheree Thunherst Administrative Operations Lead
Katie McClay * Secretary Adeline Ogbor Parent Board Member Deion Owens Board Member Matthew Sloan Board Member John Washington * Board Chair Nicole Woodfork Parent Board Member
* Term ended in June 2025
2025 ANNUAL REPORT
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ACKNOWLEDGING OUR
2024–2025 Donors Elissa Delman
Amy Geister
Debbie Hellman
Francie Denson
GGNet Inc
Benjamin Hellweg
Ruchik Desai
Nishtha Ghosh
Anita Hill
Michelle Briffett
Rachel Dictor
Taylor Gilfillan
Drake Hlavin
Amanda Anderson
Bulley & Andrews
Pooja Doshi
David Ginsberg
Andrews Family Foundation
Burns & McDonnell Foundation
Michael and Megan Hodes
Ripple Doshi
Robin and Russ Glass
Cheryl Howard-Neal
Douglas Bade
Lamar Burton
Jodi Glickman
Baird Foundation, INC.
Floria Butler
Christopher and Lilla Hoyes
Brian and Dayna Goldstein
Diana Hyde
Joshua Ackerman and Julia Schwartz
Jeff and Jennifer Blumberg
Nimit and Manjot Aggarwal
Aindreela and Dan Bodde
Sue Allshouse
Andy Baker and Sabina McBride William and Lindsay Barnes Luke Beasley Greg Bellows Ryan Bennett Roland Berger Strategy Consultants Danny Bersh
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Angela Chaudhari Christine Chen and Eric Miles
Delores Durham Ebonie Durham Andrew Dzieglo Stephanie Dzieglo Mary and Chris Fifield
Julie and Greg Goldstein
Julia Imershein Invest for Kids Inc.
David Gonsky
Christina Jaremus
Luke Figora
Shiyi Van Gorden
Jenny Jia
Katherine and James Cherry
James Frazier
Misshaki Gurley
Candice Johnson
Wheeler Coleman
Alex Freund
Nicolas Guzman
Just A Dash Catering
Bonnie Conner
Meg and Karl Frey
Carla Hale
Alicia Coronas
Ray Frick
Oana and Sorin Danciu
Dan and Grith Funk
Betsy and Kyle Hansen
Akeem and Esperanza Cherry
Aparupa Bhattacharya and Bradley Thobe
Sorin Danciu
Ravin and Sonal Gandhi
Duane Davis
Tulsi Gaonkar
Pamela Bird
Yolanda DeBro
Danielle Blass
Andrew Delman
GREAT LAKES ACADEMY | POWERED BY PURPOSE
Melanie Harmon Irvin Harris Foundation
Brad and Lisa Karsh Kimberly Karsh Jami Kasle Benjamin and Hope Katz
Emily Garbarek
Gareth and Amika Hayes
Lawrence and Winifred (Winnie) Kearns
Sejal Gehani
Kristin Hayes
Stephan Keese
Ian Patrick Kernan
Anjali Mehta
Lue Reather Phillips
Lindsay Sloan
Rajeev Uppalapati
Jackson Kimball
Debbie Merovitz
Michelle Pierre
Matthew Sloan
Elizabeth Kirk
Lee Merovitz
Kate Proctor
Lindsey Smith
Kirsten and Ned Villers
Elizabeth and Brian Kirk
Valerie and Steve Metcalf
Allison Rahill
Shamberi Smith
Sebastian Koper
Bruce Meyer
Dmitry Ratmansky
Darren Snyder
Nina Kortas
Stuart Meyer
Sara Richmond
Beth Snyderman
Jason Krigel
Kelly Milburn
Jack Romanoff
Luisa Soares Zach Solomon
Peter Kuhn
Brian and Cat Miller
Emily Schulte Dennis Schwartz
Maritza Sowell
Julia Schwartz
Ashley Sprowl
Melissa Seiler
Van and Beth Stamos
Ryan and Nick Lawler Ciara Leahy Josh and Karen Leavitt Joojin Lee Katy Leoni Ross and Margot (Paisley) Levy
Dawnielle Miller Gary Miller Charlie Mills Steve Minturn
Seyfarth
Jason Stonchus
Max Mishkin
Brinda and Vineet Shah
Samantha Mulmat
Rajul Shah
Matthew T. Swanson
Phyllis Myers and Dan Greiwe
Sagar Shah
David Tanury
Urvi Shah
Daniel Tao
Himika Shergill
Faye and Arthur Paul Teller
Carlene Liriano
Katherine and Keith Myers-Crum
Melissa Loeb
Gloria Neal
Emily Marguerite
Adegbayi Omisanya
Allison Haltom McClay and David McClay
Orba
Catherine McClay and Brady Dawson
Heidi and Brian Paul
Meghan Otis
Steve McLaughlin
Sarah and Robert Pauls
Andy McNees
Emma Phelps
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING DONORS FOR A LIFETIME GIFT OF $100,000+
Larissa Silberberg and Craig Silberburg
Anna Sukenik
Courtney Thayer
Pete Vitale Jesse Walberer Herb Walberg Kenneth Walker Jr Scott Walsh Alexander Warner John Washington and Zoe Hughes Lina Wei Keren and Greg Weiss Bob and Laura Wilheim Cedric Williams Donna Williams Kelly-Ann Williams Nicole and James Woodfork Kajaria Yarbrough
Melissa and Noah Silvers
Garland Thomas-Mcdavid
Mary Lou and Andrew Skalkos
Cambiar Thrive Grant
Alyssa Sloan
Maury Tognarelli
Bonnie Sloan
Lissa TSU
Betsy and Jeff Zeiger
Brian Sloan
Alex Tutt
Derek Zolner
Andrews Family Foundation
Robin and Russ Glass
Phyllis Myers and Dan Greiwe
Katherine and James Cherry and Larissa and Craig Silberberg
James and Kathleen Haran
Heidi and Brian Paul
Eleanor and Michael Evangelides
Brian and Cat Miller
Candice Johnson
Amy Yi Hillary Yuen Lauren Zalay
Faye and Arthur Paul Teller Kirsten and Ned Villers
Great Lakes Academy Charter School 8401 S Saginaw Ave, Chicago, IL 60617 (773) 530-3040 glachicago.org