Dr. Tai M. Basurto, Chicago Public Schools, Director of School Leader Development

Dr. Tai M. Basurto currently serves as the Director of School Leader Development for Chicago Public Schools’ Department of Principal Quality. In this role, Tai has the privilege of supporting CPS principals and assistant principals by curating and cultivating professional learning experiences. A passionate advocate for school leadership and lifelong learning, Tai is in her dream job. Before stepping into her district-wide role, Tai led at John C. Dore Elementary School on Chicago’s Southwest Side, first as assistant principal then as principal. During her tenure, she led the school through a period of transformational change—relocating to a new building, reopening the former site as the Dore Early Childhood Learning Center, expanding the low incidence cluster program, and achieving a Level 1+ rating under the district’s school quality framework.

Prior to becoming a school leader, Tai spent over a decade teaching middle school English Language Arts and earned her National Board Certification. A strong proponent of lifelong learning and professional development, she views continuous educator growth as key to school improvement. She earned her doctorate from the University of Illinois at Chicago through the Urban Education Leadership Program. Her capstone project, titled "Cultivating Teacher Leadership for Instructional Improvement in Changing Contexts," reflects her deep commitment to growing leadership at every level of a school community.