Dr. Courtney Goodman is the principal at Eugene Field Elementary School in Park Ridge, Illinois, which is located just north of Chicago and serves over 600 students in grades K-5. Courtney holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia, which is what brought her to the Chicago area. She worked at Chicago magazine before pursuing a Master’s degree in Secondary Education from DePaul University, as well as a certificate of advanced studies in Educational Leadership, and a doctoral degree in Educational Leadership, both from National Louis University. Courtney has served as an elementary principal for the past nine years. Prior to making the transition to the elementary level, Courtney was a middle school assistant principal for four years. Courtney’s teaching career focused on middle school English Language Arts and social studies, in both suburban and urban environments. Courtney’s passion for collective efficacy, teacher leadership, and collaborative practices has led her to present at various conferences, including IPA and NAESP’s annual conferences.

Christa Donnelly is the assistant principal at Eugene Field Elementary School in Park Ridge, Illinois, which is located just north of Chicago and serves over 600 students in grades K-5. Christa holds a bachelor’s degree in special education from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign, and grew up in the south suburbs of Chicago. She worked as a special education teacher supporting primarily students with emotional disabilities in self-contained settings while pursuing a Masters in Special Education (LBS2) with concentrations as a behavior intervention and curricular adaptation specialist and a second Masters degree  in School Leadership. Christa has served as an elementary assistant principal since 2018. Prior to making the transition to her current leadership role, Christa was an associate principal for student services for four years. Christa’s teaching career focused on elementary school programming for students with identified disabilities in diverse suburban environments and in both monolingual and dual language programs as well as in partnership with special education cooperatives. Christa’s passion for effective inclusion, universal design, and collaborative practices has led her to present at various conferences, including IPA and IAASE’s annual conferences.