The Board of Education Thursday approved several key promotions aimed at strengthening leadership within Chicago Public Schools (CPS). The newly-appointed administrators bring extensive experience in educational leadership and have consistently demonstrated the skills needed to support CPS students, families, staff, and the broader community. These appointments are part of a strategic effort to position proven leaders in roles that directly impact District-wide operations and student outcomes. Each individual selected has shown a strong commitment to educational equity and possesses a clear vision for advancing the success of all school communities. A few of the key roles include:
Julie Burnett – Chief of Staff to the CEO
Julie Burnett is an experienced education executive and strategist with more than 25 years of experience across classrooms, higher education, philanthropy, and city government. As interim chief of staff to the CEO of CPS, she has played a central role in addressing Districtwide challenges through transparent, collaborative leadership, helping ensure a strong and student-centered start to the school year.
Dr. Alfonso Carmona – Acting Chief Education Officer (CEdO)
A 21-year veteran of CPS, Dr. Carmona is a respected and strategic educational leader with a proven ability to drive meaningful and lasting change across the District. Dr. Carmona has served in many educational roles, including teacher, principal, chief of schools, and, most recently, Chief Portfolio Officer, and has championed efforts to advance equity, academic excellence, and community engagement. His areas of expertise include curriculum design, budget management, bilingual education, and targeted universalism.
Emila Zoko – Acting Chief Budget Officer
Emila Zoko, a proud first generation American, joined CPS in 2007 and has since built a distinguished career focused on maximizing the impact of grant-funded resources to improve student outcomes. Throughout her tenure, she has held a variety of leadership roles across the District, consistently working to align funding strategies with the academic needs of CPS students and schools.
To read the full list of leadership roles, visit www.cps.edu.
