Sarah Severson

B.A. in English literature from Cornell University in 2004; M.A. in teaching from Dominican University in 2008. Sarah began her career in education as a Teach for America corps member at a neighborhood high school in Chicago’s south side. In her four years at Hirsch Metropolitan High School, Sarah worked to improve the reading and writing skills of low-performing students and became a National Board Certified Teacher. Sarah went on to become an Instructional Coach for Chicago Public Schools where she partnered with teachers at two high schools to implement Kaplan K-12’s inquiry-based curriculum. Sarah is currently the Humanities Instructional Leader at Perspectives Leadership Academy in Chicago, Illinois. Perspectives Leadership Academy is a charter high school that is dedicated to preparing all scholars for college success, equipped with the passion and tools to become intellectually reflective, caring and ethical leaders engaged in a meaningful life. In this role, Sarah coaches and evaluates English, history and special education teachers while providing high-quality professional learning opportunities regarding literacy, classroom management and assessment. As a member of the 2012 SPA NOLA cohort, Sarah strives to become a school leader who inspires educators to improve their practice, motivates scholars to invest in their own success, and provides rigorous educational experiences for youth in underserved communities.