Learning All About the Excellent Principal of Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy

Principal Marlon Henriquez explains that he knew he wanted to become an educator around the time he graduated from high school. After many setbacks he experienced during the college search process due to his immigration status, not being eligible for FAFSA or loans, he had gotten into a college that was financially affordable, Luther College, and he could tell that his life was about to change. He was the child of immigrant parents who did not have much formal schooling, which helped him see that education was one of the most important things you could have. On top of that, it was something that no one could ever take away from you. 

His time in Chicago started with student teaching at a few different schools on Chicago’s Southwest Side, schools led by principals whom he now works alongside in Network 8. He left CPS for a short period of time but returned to participate in its Opportunity Schools program. Working at Pilsen Academy through that program allowed him to participate in distributive leadership opportunities, which naturally led to a resident principal position through the Chicago Leadership Collaborative. 

After one year as the resident of Gunsaulus Scholastic Academy, he was able to stay at Gunsaulus once his mentor transitioned to another role and the principal position opened up. Now that he’s been at Gunsaulus for a few years, we caught up with Principal Henriquez for Principal Appreciation Month to learn more about his approach to school leadership. Read more about his story below.

What are your goals specifically for this school year? 

The biggest goal is to continue increasing the academic and enrichment opportunities that our students have. We look closely at the annual ISBE Report Card, which includes Math, Reading, and Science Scores on the state assessments, as well as attendance and growth for English learners in the ACCESS test. Since we have a very large population of English learners, these metrics are good indicators of our success as a school. At Gunsaulus, we work very hard to provide our students with incredible overnight field trips, which include a 3rd-grade overnight field trip at the museum, camping for 5th and 6th grade students, a Washington D.C. trip for our 7th graders, and a trip to the Rocky mountains for our 8th graders. Our goal is that every student who wants to participate gets to join the incredible experience. Every two years, we visit our sister school in Busan, South Korea. 

What strategies are most important for growth in reading and math? 

One of the most important components is ensuring that our students have access to a high-quality curriculum. We also want to promote collaboration among our educators. Since we have three classrooms per grade level, we need to make sure that each one is providing rigorous, grade-level work. As a principal, I’ve tried to focus on building the capacity of the teacher leaders at Gunsaulus so we can make a lasting impact on our instruction.  

How have you stayed motivated as a principal, even during difficult times? 

I know that, in a leadership role, it’s inevitable that you will disappoint people from time to time. I give myself the space to sit, reflect, and make a plan for what’s next. I don’t have unlimited time in my day, but I can dedicate the time I do have to the people in my school community who need my support the most. I’m extremely grateful to have the best administrative team, which includes our school clerk, Veronica Cornejo, restorative justice coordinator, Cynthia Avalos, and assistant principal, Joe Lazio! 

What advice would you give to a principal who is just getting started? 

Find a few other people whom you can bounce ideas off of and partner with to lead the work. You cannot do it on your own. Once you have a team, you can have a larger reach. This is especially important during tough times like what we are currently experiencing. We’ve leaned a lot on community partners to help share resources with our school community. On top of that, my entire team has been working together to make sure that our students and families feel safe and supported. 

What is your message to your students? 

I’ve actually had the opportunity to share my story of being an immigrant with my students. I let them know that it’s okay to speak Spanish when you’re at Gunsaulus, that being bilingual is a superpower, and that I am proud to be an immigrant, and they can be too. This year, we have a saying, “Somos Gunsaulus,” which means “We are Gunsaulus.” Every member of our community is treated with respect and support, regardless of their identity, to ensure we develop leaders, learners, and global citizens.