Former principal at MPHS leading growth of program

She is also the founder and CEO of Leadership EDGE, LLC, an education consulting firm in Mt. Greenwood, and that firm has been contracted to lead the growth of the program by Special Olympics Chicago/Special Children’s Charities (SOC/SCC), which is providing funding.

“I was in love with it [at MPHS],” Skanes said. “It went well. Because even though it is an art-therapy program, the goal of the program is much more than art and music. It’s helping students develop their communication skills, helping students to develop social-emotional skills.”

Last year, MPHS joined Mt. Greenwood and Lara elementary schools, as well as Al Raby High School, in launching the program.

The plan now, officials said, is to introduce the program at 150 additional CPS schools—75 in the first semester, 75 in the second semester.

Locally, schools part of the first expansion include the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences and Clissold and Cassell elementary schools.

The goal, Skanes said, “is as much expansion as possible.”

When the program was introduced at Mt. Greenwood Elementary last year, students enjoyed playing various instruments and creating paintings by blowing through straws.

Skanes said students participate in classes once a week. For one semester, they enjoy art classes; during the other, they take part in music classes.

She recruits certified therapists to work in the classrooms.

“The [therapists] are really dedicated and supportive,” Skanes said. “They’re patient. They work well with the classroom teachers.”

Skanes worked as a CPS administrator for 10 years, serving as principal at Al Raby for six years before leading MPHS for four years.

She founded Leadership EDGE in 2018.

According to its website, the firm’s goal is to “advance excellence and equity in education for educators, parents and students by providing robust professional learning experiences, active research opportunities, focused coaching, and continuous reflection to strengthen leadership skills.”

According to 19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea, who is the vice president of SOC/SCC, Skanes is “a natural fit” to lead the expansion of the therapy program.

“Over these last several weeks, she’s done a remarkable job,” O’Shea said. “We’re just really excited that we’re bringing this wonderful program into cluster classrooms across the city, in neighborhoods that need it most.”

He also believes the program will help make up for time lost while students learned remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions.

“I’m really excited. It’s been nothing but positive feedback,” O’Shea said. “And I think it’s really going to be a difference maker, in particular with our [students in special education] … the loss they experienced from being out of the classroom for such an extended period of time during the worst of the pandemic.”

Skanes said leading the program is part of her “equity journey,” and she believes it will be a valuable supplemental program to a strong support system already in place for at-risk students.

While she loves seeing the end result of what students create, she also enjoys watching them grow.

“It is about the product,” Skanes said, “but it’s more about the process.”