Chicago International Charter School

Chicago International Charter School selects seasoned education leader as next chief executive

Kris Cheung selected for his collaborative leadership style and ability turn challenges into opportunities

October 18, 2021 

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CHICAGO – Chicago International Charter School (CICS), a network of 13 public charter schools serving 7,400 students, is excited to announce that Kris Cheung will begin as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer, effective November 1, 2021. Following an extensive national search, Cheung was selected due to his deep experience as a leader in education, his relational leadership style and ability to drive student outcomes while maintaining a well-run organization. 

“Kris is a seasoned leader who we are confident has the experience and capabilities to lead CICS into our next phase,” said Evan Sharp, member of CICS’ Board of Directors and chair of the CEO Search Committee. “What stood out to us about Kris was his ability to ask thoughtful questions and listen intently, surround himself with experts, and galvanize people around a common goal. Our Board is deeply grateful to the entire CICS team for providing stability and continuity for our students, families and staff while we found the right person for the role.”

Cheung comes to CICS with more than a decade of leadership at two of the nation’s highly regarded charter networks: Success Academy in New York and KIPP Texas. As the Chief Operating Officer at Success Academy, he helped the organization grow from seven schools serving 2,400 students to 46 schools serving more than 16,000 students. At KIPP Texas, he led the consolidation of four KIPP regions across Texas, now serving 34,000 students at 59 schools statewide. In both roles, Kris brought stakeholders together across departments and regions, while navigating significant complexity, to create more high-quality opportunities for students. 

“CICS has been an education leader in Chicago for more than 24 years and I’m eager to build upon the amazing work of our students, families and staff in the years to come,” said Cheung. “I know the last 18 months have been challenging for everyone and I’m excited to lead a team that has demonstrated resilience, perseverance and a relentless focus on students in the face of significant obstacles. I look forward to building relationships with everyone who is committed to the success of Chicago’s children.” 

 About Chicago International Charter School

Chicago International Charter School is a vibrant network of diverse Chicago charter schools that enable students to thrive every day, put them on a path to success in college and life, and empower entrepreneurial educators to pursue excellence through innovation. CICS is serving more than 7,400 students at 13 campuses across Chicago. To learn more, visit  www.chicagointl.org.

Press Release_Chicago International Charter School selects seasoned education leader as next chief executive

Dear Teachers and Staff,

I am grateful and excited to be welcoming staff and students back into our school buildings this month. While I cannot say for sure what the coming weeks and months may hold, I can say with complete confidence that teachers and staff and all of our School Management Operators (SMO) partners and teams are ready to jump back into supporting student learning, collaborating with one another, and welcoming students and families back into our CICS community with open arms.

By now, you have all heard from your SMO leadership and school leaders about the logistics of your first days back and you should have a good idea of what to expect. Today, I’d like to focus on the slightly bigger picture as we navigate a return back to school buildings and continue adjusting to the changing landscape around us.

This school year, I hope we take with us some hard-earned lessons from last year and commit to creating an even brighter path ahead. I hope we maintain our commitment to truly supporting one another, being nimble and innovative, and keeping a laser focus on supporting our students both academically and emotionally regardless of the context or challenges. I hope we carve a new path – one that brings our Graduate Aims to life on a daily basis; one that doesn’t just fill gaps from the last year but actually accelerates student learning and opportunity; and one that brings our community closer together and engages and invests even more people in the success of our students.

I am absolutely delighted and honored to start this new school year on a positive and safe note with this team of exceptional educators and staff members. Our CICS team is working very closely with our SMO partners and closely monitoring local school health data, as well as school reopening guidance from local, state and federal agencies to ensure a safe and successful experience for all. We ask that you continue partnering with us in finding the balance in providing a safe learning environment and educating all of our students during this time. I look forward to engaging and communicating with you all as we begin this journey together.

With gratitude,


Pelin Deniz

Chief Operations Officer 
Chicago International Charter School 

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[Spanish translation]

Estimados maestros y personal de las escuelas CICS,

Estoy agradecida de dar la bienvenida al personal y a los estudiantes de nuevo a nuestros edificios escolares este mes. Si bien no puedo decir con certeza lo que depararán las próximas semanas y meses, puedo decir con total confianza que los maestros y el personal y todos nuestros socios y equipos de Operadores de Administración Escolar (SMO) están listos para volver a apoyar el aprendizaje de los estudiantes, colaborando con unos a otros, y dar la bienvenida a los estudiantes y sus familias a nuestra comunidad CICS con los brazos abiertos.

A estas alturas, todos habrán escuchado de sus líderes del SMO y líderes escolares sobre la logística de sus primeros días de regreso y deberían tener una buena idea de qué esperar. Hoy, me gustaría centrarme en el panorama un poco más amplio mientras navegamos de regreso a los edificios escolares y continuamos ajustándonos al panorama cambiante que nos rodea.

Este año escolar, espero que llevemos con nosotros algunas lecciones del año pasado que tanto nos costó ganar y nos comprometemos a crear un camino aún más brillante por delante. Espero que mantengamos nuestro compromiso de apoyarnos mutuamente, ser ágiles e innovadores, y mantener un enfoque en apoyar a nuestros estudiantes tanto académica como emocionalmente, independientemente del contexto o los desafíos. Espero que logremos un nuevo camino, uno que dé vida a nuestros objetivos de posgrado a diario; uno que no solo llena los vacíos del año pasado, sino que en realidad acelera el aprendizaje y las oportunidades de los estudiantes; y una que acerque a nuestra comunidad e involucre e invierta aún más personas en el éxito de nuestros estudiantes.

Estoy absolutamente encantada y honrada de comenzar este nuevo año escolar con una nota positiva y segura con este equipo de educadores y miembros del personal excepcionales. Nuestro equipo de CICS está trabajando muy de cerca con nuestros socios del SMO y monitoreando de cerca los datos de salud de las escuelas locales, así como la orientación de reapertura de escuelas de las agencias locales, estatales y federales para garantizar una experiencia segura y exitosa para todos. Le pedimos que continúe asociándose con nosotros para encontrar el equilibrio para brindar un entorno de aprendizaje seguro y educar a todos nuestros estudiantes durante este tiempo. Espero involucrarme y comunicarme con todos ustedes mientras comenzamos este viaje juntos.

Sinceramente,

Pelin Deniz

Jefa de Operaciones

Escuela Charter Internacional de Chicago