In July 2006, Dr. Allan Alson was named a senior fellow by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. In that capacity he has assumed responsibility for the High School Transformation program in the Chicago Public Schools. Dr. Alson is responsible for ensuring that the strategic initiatives for High School Transformation are implemented across the city. High School Transformation’s instructional strategy began in the fall of 2006 and now serves twenty-five high schools with an expected growth of an additional forty high schools. In addition, Dr. Alson chairs the Instructional Leadership Council, which is responsible for the leadership development of high school principals.

Prior to joining Chicago Public Schools, Dr. Alson was the superintendent of Evanston Township High School from 1992 until June 2006. He began his teaching career in the Philadelphia Public Schools and served as a teacher and administrator in several communities in Massachusetts. While there he was the assistant director of the Boston Public Schools/Boston University Desegregation Collaborative. During his time in Evanston, Dr. Alson was involved in creating a wide array of community partnerships, including an award-winning, school-based health center. An interagency collaborative to structure services to children and families in need and a school and community task force on safety and civility were created through Dr. Alson’s leadership. In February 1999, Dr. Alson helped create the Minority Student Achievement Network, a consortium of twenty-five urban-suburban school districts across the United States devoted to discovering, developing and implementing the means to improve the academic achievement of students of color. Districts in the network collaboratively conduct and publish research, analyze policies, and examine practices that affect the academic performance of students of color.

Dr. Alson has made frequent presentations in Illinois and around the country on topics related to equity and the academic achievement of students of color, principal leadership training and high school reform. In addition, he has published articles on student achievement, school reform and school-community collaborations. He has been honored by the state of Illinois, social service agencies, and local African American organizations for his work on behalf of minority student achievement.