Edward Collins

Ed Collins
Assistant Principal
ECCollins1@cps.k12.il.us

As the son of a Chicago Public School teacher, education was always an extremely important aspect of my childhood and teenage years.  I look back at my elementary and high school years and feel the utmost appreciation towards my mother and father for the support they provided me in all areas of my academic life.  Whether it was help constructing costumes for a school performance, or guidance as I researched for a report, my parents always demonstrated patience, care, and resourcefulness so that I could excel as a learner.  As I grew as a student, I was better able to seek out valuable resources so that I could take charge of my own education and succeed in school.  After graduating from St. Patrick High School in Chicago’s Northwest Side, I enrolled in DePaul University’s School of Education and majored in Secondary History Education.  My goal upon graduation was to teach History at the high school level, however, once I began teaching seventh and eighth  grade in the Chicago Public School system, I realized that my true calling was to teach at the elementary level.

In 2004, I began working towards and in time received my Master’s in Education from DePaul University and am currently enrolled in DePaul’s doctoral program focusing on Curriculum & Instruction.  I joined Newberry’s teaching staff in September, 2005 and have thoroughly loved my experience here ever since.  During my tenure with Newberry before assuming the role of assistant principal, I taught both Reading and Social Studies spanning fifth  – eighth grades, and the last few years were spent teaching Social Studies at the fifth and sixth grade levels.

My mother’s family came to the United States from Cuba during the late 1960s.  I grew up speaking Spanish the vast majority of time, and having the ability to speak Spanish is something I value tremendously and feel that it has enhanced my ability to teach and relate to Newberry students who assume English as a second language.

My roles supporting both the annual Newberry History Fair for the intermediate and upper grades and the school-wide annual talent show have reinforced my view of the importance of a well-rounded experience for our student body.  I bring this enthusiasm to my position as assistant principal of this great school, where teacher and staff involvement not only in the day-to-day investment of our students, but also the many dimensional program offerings, are the heart of Newberry.