Victoria Chou, the dean of the College of the Education at the University of Illinois at Chicago is retiring in August. Chou has been dean of the college for the past 17 years. She is also currently an interim executive associate chancellor for external and government relations. Chou has been a co-chair of the Steering Committee of the Consortium on Chicago School Research, chair of the Governing Board of the National Teachers Academy-Professional Development School in Chicago, and co-chair of the Council of Chicago Area Deans of Education.
Lisa Vahey, an education nonprofit consultant, is moving closer to family and to start a new job with Breakthrough Schools, a charter school network in Cleveland, Ohio. Vahey is a former director of the Chicago New Teacher Center and of the New Teacher Network at the Urban Education Institute at the University of Chicago. Vahey has also served as an area reading coach for Chicago Public Schools.
Oliver Sicat, has been named CEO and president of Edvocate, the charter management organization overseeing USC Hydrid High School in Los Angeles. Sicat is a former chief portfolio officer for Chicago Public Schools and the founder of University of Illinois at Chicago College Prep, a campus of the Noble Street Charters Schools. USC Hybrid High, now in its first year, is a charter school authorized by the Los Angeles Unified School District and designed and built by the University of Southern California Rossier School. Sicat is an USC alum.
Tony Anderson is the new board chair of Perspectives Charter Schools. The current board chair, Larry Ashkin, will be become chair emeritus. Anderson is a former vice chair and managing partner for the Midwest area of Ernst & Young. While he was at the firm, Anderson build a corporate/school partnership with the schools.