Sylvia Sumpter
Dr. Sylvia Sumpter is a dedicated educational leader, instructional coach, and MTSS specialist with over a decade of experience in the Greater Chicago Area. Currently serving as Lead Coach, Academic Interventionist, and Instructional Leadership Team member at Chicago Public Schools, she is committed to supporting both students and educators. Her work focuses on implementing targeted interventions, leveraging data-driven instructional strategies, and fostering a collaborative culture that enhances student learning and achievement. Sylvia is passionate about bridging gaps in knowledge and skills while promoting an inclusive and equitable learning environment.
In her daily professional life, Sylvia is deeply engaged in the school community, ensuring teachers have the support they need to excel. She checks in on teachers, observes classrooms, addresses instructional challenges, and leads grade-level meetings that impact every teacher across the school. Her approach is tailored to each educator’s experience, whether mentoring new teachers or collaborating with veterans of 24 years. Sylvia builds trust with staff by staying centered on student outcomes and school improvement, acting as a thought partner outside of administrative roles. She helps teachers navigate curriculum changes, instructional practices, and student needs while maintaining a clear focus on what will most benefit learning and school growth.
Sylvia’s academic achievements reflect her dedication to advancing educational leadership and curriculum development. She earned her Master’s degree in Reading Education from Concordia University Chicago and is completing her Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction. Before her career in education, Sylvia gained valuable analytical and technical experience in pension administration and benefits management at Milliman and Merrill Lynch, which informs her structured, data-driven approach to teaching and school improvement. Her combination of hands-on classroom experience, leadership skills, and strategic insight enables her to positively impact both educators and students.
• Reading Specialist
• DePaul University - BA, Sociology
• National Louis University - M.Ed. in ECE
• Concordia University Chicago - M.Ed. in Reading
What do you attribute your success to?
I would say having administrators who saw things that I didn't even see that I had, like the different talents or things that I brought to the table, and them pushing me forward. You know, acknowledging these are the things that we see that you're doing, and sometimes you do a lot of things and you don't realize maybe the impact that you're having or the good that you're doing in the school, the difference that you're making. I don't think I would have ever thought about leaving the classroom if they had not started encouraging me to say, hey, you've done all of this, it is time for something else. I think everybody needs some good administrators who are willing to help teachers grow professionally, willing to acknowledge that maybe it's time for them to add more value in a different way within the school.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best career advice I've ever received was really small, but it was just somebody saying, wake up and love what you're doing. If you could get to that place where you are at peace with what you're doing every day, if you find joy in it, if you are impacting lives in a way that you feel that you could be at peace with, then maybe you found it. I was a career changer - I was 13 years in corporate, and now I'm 13 years in education. I feel like that was the best advice I could have received to change professions.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say to keep a balance between personal life and your professional life. Especially if you have a family, you're always going to be dealing with students or things like that in the roles that you take, but you have to have a cutoff point for when you go home. You have to know when to shut it off, you have to know when to balance it. Teachers sometimes have a bad thing about saying I'm going to take all this home, and I've been encouraging them, like, no, you're going to leave some of that there, because you're going to go home and be true to yourself. I had to learn that - that was nothing that came easy for me. I had to learn it over time.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
I would say some challenges in this role that I have right now is trying to make sure my alignment in the things that I do really helps with the overall school improvement and student outcomes. Everything that I do, my goal is I try to stay centered on it is for student outcomes and for school improvement. The biggest challenge sometimes is you see where the school needs to go, but in my role, how can I stay within my lane but also help the school move forward?
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that are most important to me in my work are staying student-focused and student-oriented - we want the best outcomes for them. Consistency is important, being consistent in the things that I do. Being trustworthy - if I put my word out, even to students or teachers, showing up for them so that they can trust me enough to know I'm going to be there. If I said I'm going to do something, I'm going to show up and I'm going to be there to support them as best that I can. And just being a professional, having that balance between keeping it professional with teachers, but also knowing that we can laugh and have a good time, but we remain professionals.