Her Story
About Tina
Tina Curry, Ed.D., is an educational leader, instructional coach, literacy specialist, educational consultant, speaker, and adjunct professor with nearly three decades of experience in public education. Her work is grounded in a commitment to educational equity and a belief that who we are shapes how we show up and how we show up shapes what becomes possible for the students, educators, and communities we serve. Dr. Curry currently serves as an IB Primary Years Program (PYP) Coordinator and instructional coach with Chicago Public Schools, where she supports the implementation and continuous improvement of the International Baccalaureate framework while working alongside teachers and school leaders to strengthen teaching and learning. With approximately 20 years of experience in instructional coaching, her work centers on cultivating meaningful relationships, affirming teacher agency, deepening professional thinking, and elevating instructional practice while keeping students at the center.
Her extensive work as an instructional coach has also informed the development of the CARE Coaching Framework—Connect, Affirm Agency, Raise Thinking, and Elevate Practice—a framework grounded in the belief that effective coaching is shaped not only by what coaches do, but by who they are and how they show up in relationship with others. In addition to her work with Chicago Public Schools, Dr. Curry has served for more than 13 years as an adjunct instructor in the College of Education at National Louis University, where she teaches in the Reading and Language program and prepares literacy teachers, reading specialists, and instructional coaches. For the past six years, she has also contributed to DePaul University's Office of Innovative Professional Learning, collaborating with educators and school leaders to advance equity-centered instruction and examine systemic inequities affecting historically marginalized students. As the founder of Currents of Change Consulting, Dr. Curry extends her work through professional learning, instructional and leadership coaching, strategic consulting, and speaking engagements. Across these spaces, she challenges educators and leaders to examine whose voices are heard, whose knowledge is valued, who has access to opportunity, and how educational systems can become more equitable and humanizing. Dr. Curry holds an undergraduate degree in communication, a master's degree in education in the teaching of reading, and an Ed.D. in Reading and Language. Her professional affiliations include the National Council of Teachers of English, where she serves as Chair of the Achievement Awards in Writing Advisory Committee as well as the Illinois Reading Council, Illinois Writing Project, Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English, and Literacy Research Association. At the heart of Dr. Curry's work is a commitment to advocacy, agency, identity, belonging, and educational justice. Whether working with children, teachers, emerging educators, or educational leaders, she seeks to create conditions where people feel seen, heard, and valued and where they recognize the power of their own voices and experiences. Through her leadership, scholarship, coaching, and advocacy, she strives to make her work matter and to help create educational spaces where every person knows they belong and where their presence and possibilities are valued.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Tina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to hard work, a commitment to continuous learning, and the people who have invested in me throughout my journey. I have been fortunate to learn from extraordinary leaders, educators, coaches, and mentors who have challenged me, supported me, and helped me see possibilities for myself that I did not always see. I have also been intentional about my own growth—seeking out professional learning, engaging with educational organizations, attending conferences, reading widely, and continually reflecting on my practice. I am deeply driven and motivated, but I also understand that success is never achieved alone. I believe we grow through relationships, reflection, and a willingness to remain curious. Much of who I am today is the result of both the opportunities I have pursued and the people who have poured into me along the way. I try to honor that investment by continuing to grow and by creating opportunities for others to recognize their own voice, agency, and potential.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have ever received is not to be afraid to fail. Failure is often the impetus for growth and change, and some of my greatest learning has come from the moments when things did not go as planned. I have learned to take risks, reflect, adjust, and keep moving forward. Those experiences have also made me a more relatable and approachable leader because I never want others to believe that growth requires perfection. Along the way, I have also learned the importance of being unapologetically myself—to stand in my integrity, trust my voice, and remain grounded in what I believe is right for children. I may not always get it right, but I am never afraid to learn, grow, and try again.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to a young woman entering the field would be to make your work matter. Decide who you want to be, not simply what position you want to hold or what you want to accomplish. Know who you are, what you value, and what you are willing to stand for, because who we are shapes how we show up, and how we show up shapes what becomes possible for the people we serve. Be intentional about the impact you want to have. Titles and positions may change throughout your career, but the way people experience your leadership and the difference your work makes in the lives of others will remain. Whatever work you choose to do, make it mean something.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the greatest challenges in education right now is ensuring that every child has access to an equitable, affirming, and high-quality education. We continue to see significant disparities in resources and opportunities, particularly in schools serving historically marginalized communities. At the same time, efforts to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion are facing resistance, and books and curricula that reflect the histories and lived experiences of diverse communities are increasingly being challenged.
Yet, I also see tremendous opportunity. This moment requires educators to be courageous, creative, and deeply committed to the children and communities we serve. We have an opportunity to rethink whose voices are heard, whose stories are told, whose knowledge is valued, and how we create learning environments where every child can see themselves and their possibilities. I believe educators have always had the power to shape what becomes possible for young people. The challenges we face make that responsibility and the opportunity to use our voices, advocate for children, and create meaningful change more important than ever.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values that guide both my work and my personal life are equity, justice, fairness, community, belonging, and relationships. I believe people deserve to be seen, heard, valued, and treated with dignity, and that belief shapes how I lead, teach, coach, and live. Relationships are at the heart of everything I do because meaningful change begins with genuine human connection. I value creating spaces where people know they belong and where their identities, voices, and experiences matter. I also believe that equity and justice require more than good intentions; they require us to recognize inequities, advocate for those whose voices have been marginalized, and have the courage to act. Whether in my professional work or my personal life, I want people to know that they matter, that they belong, and that their presence makes a difference.
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