Dalonte Burns serves as a school leader for 900 students and 120 staff members at UIC College Prep in Chicago, Illinois. He is a Chicago native, a first generation college graduate, an educator, leader, minister, husband, and father. For over a decade, he’s committed his life’s work to education and serving his community in order to elevate and bring attention to the power of those most marginalized. He’s a firm believer in liberatory education being a key lever to multi-generational transformation. Dalonte has worked to decrease the suspension rate for Black students, increase equitable outcomes for Black students and students with IEPs, and increase the diversity of the school leadership and instructional staff. Dalonte has also created additional leadership pipelines for people of color in leadership. Dalonte has directly managed various teams comprising as many as 16 professionals ranging from teachers, leaders, special educators, paraprofessionals, and social workers. Through his leadership, he has improved management and organizational structures that have led to improved compliance completion, school-wide collaboration, and student achievement. Dalonte has helped develop an instructional equity framework that led to some of the highest equitable outcomes for students. He’s worked to create an anti-racist framework aligned to the Noble Network’s anti-racism and DEI commitment. Dalonte has also served as a community relations coordinator within his church and community and organized community events like peace rallies, giveaways, holiday events, and more.