Natalie Neris

Natalie Neris leverages her work in education to advocate for social justice and equitable access for students in underserved communities. The first in her family to graduate from college, Natalie began her career with Chicago Public Schools in her own Humboldt Park community. While in the classroom Natalie earned a Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching and became a nationally board-certified teacher. A part of Chicago’s educational ecosystem as a student, teacher, administrator and parent, Natalie is keenly aware that access to a quality education is a game-changer, especially for students living in the most impoverished urban communities. In her current role as chief of academic accountability for Chicago International Charter School, Natalie drove the design and implementation of CICS’s structure for academic accountability, which was firmly grounded in her core belief that teachers and school leaders are our most critical lever for improving outcomes for students. Natalie earned her undergraduate degree from Northeastern Illinois University and her graduate degree from Concordia University and is currently pursuing her doctorate at National Louis University. In addition to her work at CICS, Natalie serves as co-chair of the Educator Advisory Council for Advance Illinois and is a 2017 Surge Fellow. Natalie is a mother, a meditator, a lover of words, travel, food, connection and a fighter for the underdog.