It is Our Mission to Produce Lifelong Learners

Dvorak School of Excellence will fully prepare our scholars for college and the work force by providing a safe, rigorous learning environment with high expectations for all. We will partner with our community and families to ensure that our scholars are able to exceed standards and not just meet them. As a learning community we will work together to prepare our students to be academically competitive with their peers worldwide and each of them will feel the love and commitment of our staff. Collectively, we will use each other as resources to create an exciting learning environment for our children and foster in them a thirst for knowledge that cannot be dampened by the social ills they confront each day.

Pre K-8

Dvorak School of Excellence

3615 W. 16th St.
Chicago, IL 60623
773-534-1690

Enrollment: 458
A CPS Neighborhood School

Principal's Message

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Greetings and Welcome to Dvorak

It is my pleasure to serve the North Lawndale community as the principal of Dvorak School of Excellence. I believe that at the heart of a healthy school culture is an adult commitment to model the skills, behaviors and qualities we seek to cultivate in our students. We strive to help students become more self-disciplined and learn effective work habits that will lead to personal and academic excellence. I am committed to partnering with the community to create an environment where all stakeholders feel welcomed, respected, and connected to restoring Dvorak to its stature as a pillar of the North Lawndale community.

LaShawn Whitney, Principal

Performance

Our Growth In
Achievement

Steady, positive improvements in academic achievement, student engagement, and parent satisfaction are hallmarks of all AUSL-managed CPS schools. You will find reports for Dvorak School of Excellence to the right.

CPS 2016 School Report Card

Our History

Building on Our History to
Create a Culture of Excellence

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​Dvorak School of Excellence is named in honor of Antonin (or Anton) Dvorak (1841-1904). Dvorak was a Czech composer known for incorporating features of folk music in his compositions. He composed operas, choral music, a wide variety of chamber music, concerti and many other orchestral and vocal and instrumental pieces.

Dvorak School of Excellence opened in 1963 and originally contained 36 classrooms, a lunchroom, and gymnasium/assembly hall.

Dvorak was originally envisioned in 1930 as a junior high school to be located adjacent to Mason Elementary at 18th Street and Kildare Avenue. Plans were abandoned in 1933 when junior high schools were abolished and the site was not considered a good location for a high school.

AUSL

AUSL (Academy for Urban School Leadership) is a Chicago nonprofit school management organization that creates schools of excellence by developing highly effective teachers and transforming educational outcomes for students in the lowest performing schools.

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) turned over management of Dvorak School of Excellence to AUSL in 2014 as a turnaround school. Turning around a school is one approach that CPS uses to improve neighborhood schools that have been failing for many years. The transformation begins with the new leadership and teachers in the building to deliver effective instruction and the right climate and culture to the same neighborhood students.

AUSL is committed to to providing all AUSL students with a quality education to prepare them for college and career.

Staff List

Questions for Our Staff?

If you have any questions, the Dvorak School of Excellence staff will be happy to assist you.

Phone:773-535-1690

Fax: 773-534-1676

Administration

LaShawn Whitney
Principal
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Patricia Baggett-Hopkins
Assistant Principal
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Roland Martin
Director of School Culture
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Michelle Blankenberger
School Counselor
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Teachers

Ms. Beyersdorfer
Pre-K
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Ms. Rohlfing
Pre-K
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Mrs. Tomszak
Pre-K
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Ms. Haywood
Pre-K
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Ms. Standiford
Kindergarten
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Ms. Fehring
1st Grade
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Ms. Norris
1st Grade
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Ms. Rutter
2nd Grade
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Mrs. Rodriguez
2nd Grade
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Ms McHale
3rd Grade
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Mrs. O'Block
3rd Grade
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Ms. McMIllion
4th/5th ELA
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Ms. Briggs
4th/5th Math
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Mrs. Alexander
4th/5th Grade ELA
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Mrs. Nelson
Physical Education
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Ms. Romero
Diverse Learners
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Ms. Hollyfield
Diverse Learners
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Ms. Kimbrough
Diverse Learners
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Ms. Mallard
6th ELA & S.S.
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Ms. Barbrow
6th Math & Science
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Ms. Dellasanta
7th/8th Science & S.S.
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Mrs. Brunson
7th/8th Math
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Ms. Ohannes
7th/8th ELA
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Support Staff

Ms. Cook
SECA

Ms. Howard
SECA

Mr. Knox
SECA

Ms. Thomas
SECA

Ms.Durr
Teacher Assistant

Mrs. Brooks
School Clerk

Ms. Freeman
School Clerk

Mr. McCall
Security

Mr. Radcliffe
Security

Mr. Thomas
Security

Ms. Wilson
Teacher Assistant

Ms. Walton
Teacher Assistant