About Me

My name is Damir Ara. I am currently an assistant principal at one of the largest, most diverse and high performing schools in the country –  Lane Tech College Preparatory High School in Chicago Illinois. My educational background is in Computer Science and Fine Arts. I am a visionary leader with 16 years of leadership experience, proven track record of the development of teachers instructional practices and increased student academic performance. I believe all students deserve to be in a school entirely focused around their Academic, Social and Emotional Long-Term Success. My goal as an educator and a school leader is to create opportunities for all students, but particularly underrepresented student minorities, and change perceptions, stereotypes, and statistics of which students have potential/abilities for high achievement. My most successful projects included designing effective instruction where students can recognize their possibilities for success through new innovative, challenging and engaging courses. In today’s creative age, I strive to develop courses where Science + Art can promote 21st-century learning and collaborative environments rooted in the challenge-based curriculum.

Below is the list of my educational background and qualifications.

Seven years of administrative leadership experience in a large urban high school.
Ten years of experience teaching secondary Computer Science and Art courses.

St. VINCENT DePAUL UNIVERSITY
Bachelor of Computer Science and Technology
Human-Computer Interaction and Graphic Design

St. VINCENT DePAUL UNIVERSITY
Master of Arts in Education K-12
Certification in Computer Science, Art and Social Sciences

AMERICAN COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
Master of Education in Educational Leadership
Type 75 Administrative Certificate

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
Doctorate Degree in Educational Leadership
Expected August 2018

Computer Science, Art, Social Sciences Certification K-12
(Type 09)

Illinois Professional Educator License – General Administrative Endorsement
(Type 75)

CPS Principal Eligibility Candidate List

ISBE REACH (Danielson Framework) Teacher Evaluation Certification
(Modules 1-5)

ISBE REACH (Danielson Framework) Teacher Evaluation Certification
Non-Growth (Modules 1-4)

ISBE REACH (Danielson Framework) Teacher Evaluation Certification
Observation (Modules 1-4)

CPS Creative Compass Arts Mentor

You can contact me by sending an email to: dmara@cps.edu