Tonya Hammaker

Principal, Farragut Career Academy IB World School

Chicago, Illinois

Fellow

Tonya Hammaker has served as the principal of Farragut Career Academy IB World School since 2012. During her principalship, she led the successful accreditation process to become an International Baccalaureate Middle Year and Diploma Programme school. Her school is currently applying for certification as an IB Career Programme and has opened new Career and Technical Education pathways such as Law and Teaching. Under her leadership, the Freshman On-Track rate, graduation rate and college enrollment rate have all improved significantly over time, and her school moved from being on probation to a school in good standing.

Tonya began her career in education in 2001 as a high school history teacher and has also served as a Dean of Instruction, Instructional Support Leader, and Assistant Principal. She has a passion for working with students to help them become college and career ready and realize their full potential. Through her partnerships with community-based organizations, she has also been able to develop tiered interventions for her most vulnerable students to ensure they are supported and successful. As a first-generation college student, Tonya works to ensure all of her students have a solid post-secondary plan before graduation. Tonya is also a new principal mentor and has mentored aspiring principals through the Chicago Leadership Collaborative Resident Principal program in Chicago Public Schools. In her free time, Tonya enjoys reading, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.

Cecily Langford

Assistant Principal, Farragut Career Academy IB World School

Chicago, Illinois

ALLY

Cecily Langford is in her 3rd decade working in Chicago schools. This is her 5th year as Assistant Principal at Farragut where she works to create spaces for kids to dream and actualize their purpose. Before that, Cecily grew up in Chicagoland as a half-Colombian girl who was frustrated by the black/white binary that comprised her schooling experience in the ’80s. She dreams daily of what black and brown unity in Chicago could do to improve life outcomes for the students she proudly serves.