Today, we are honored to profile Jemia Cunningham-Elder, the extraordinary CEO of North Lawndale College Prep in Chicago, IL.
Jemia Cunningham-Elder grew up in a household where college was never a question of if but only when. She loved school, excelled in it, and followed a clear path to an undergraduate degree at Lake Forest College. But it wasn’t until her first African American studies class that she began to understand how rare and privileged her experience was.
“They asked us, ‘How much do you know about your history?’ And for me, it was powerful because I was like, actually, very little.” Jemia reflected on how much she knew about her community’s culture for the first time.
“I always loved school, but I never realized it could be something that challenges many with invisible barriers,” said Jemia.
Reading Malcolm X and Frederick Douglass, who found liberation through literacy, helped her understand that education was not just an opportunity but a right that had been denied to so many people.
“That was the first time in my career or life that I recognized what a privilege it was,” said Jemia. “It seems to be this well-hidden, in-plain-sight secret that is being gatekept from black children in particular.”
Education Awakening
After college, Jemia joined AmeriCorps and worked as a tutor at Phoenix Charter Academy in Massachusetts, embedding herself in classrooms and communities. As the school expanded from one to three campuses in just a few years under the leadership of Beth Anderson, Jemia found herself asking deeper questions: What happens behind the scenes? Who decides what gets funded, what is prioritized, and who gets access? That experience sparked her passion for understanding and influencing the systems that shape public education.
That inquiry led her to Boston College, where she worked in fundraising and external affairs while earning her master’s degree. There, she gained a front-row seat to how institutions build long-term sustainability and how relationships with donors, alums, and the broader public should be cultivated with intention.
“Fundraising showed me that every strong school is grounded in something bigger than itself,” she said. “It’s not just about money. It’s about mission, community, and legacy.”
When the pandemic hit, Jemia returned home to Chicago with her husband and young children and discovered a job opportunity that felt like her calling as Director of External Affairs at North Lawndale College Prep (NLCP). She didn’t expect this would guide her way back to the work she loved most.
She joined the school during a transition period, and after Dr. Garland Thomas-McDavid left to create Brooklyn Lab Charter School, she stepped into the CEO role.
From Service to Strategy
From the start, NLCP’s mission resonated. “NLCP is different because we are a school that was formed for the community, from the community, and we’re still committed to being of the community,” said Jemia. “Even now, over 25 years later, our board is still shaping what the community wants and what the community needs.”
The school’s 98% Black student population connects directly to Jemia’s academic and personal journey. “So right there, I’m already serving the population that I was learning so much about kids that look like me,” she said.
At a time when national debates question the value of college, NLCP remains unwavering in its commitment to college access for all. Jemia believes the student body deserves the same assumptions and opportunities afforded to students in Chicago’s selective enrollment schools.
College Matters and So Does Choice
“It’s easy for people who’ve always had a choice to say college doesn’t matter,” said Jemia. “But choice should belong to everyone, not just those who’ve always had it.”
Under her leadership, NLCP has paired traditional college prep rigor with real-world relevance. For example, when a student’s hairstyling video went viral, the school didn’t just celebrate it but built a business and marketing pilot class to support her career.
“We meet students where they are,” said Jemia. “And we show them how their passions can power their futures.”
She and her team have also asked families how to make NLCP’s curriculum more meaningful. NLCP has done focus groups, talked to parents, and asked, “How can we link your access to college and our college prep curriculum to what feels relevant to your kids today?”
Fighting for Renewal and Equity
Jemia’s leadership was tested during the Spring 2025 charter renewal cycle. The Chicago Board of Education delayed critical votes twice and introduced stricter oversight on charter schools. The uncertainty affected charter schools across the city and left families and educators in a state of limbo, with only months left in the school year.
The board also tabled a resolution that would have imposed stricter oversight on charter operators. After months of back-and-forth, the board ultimately approved all 21 renewals in late May, granting varying contract lengths and passing a new oversight resolution requiring earlier closure notifications, union neutrality, and regular reporting of finances and discipline data.
In the cohort of other charter schools, NLCP was recommended for a renewal of three years, which was the first time they had been recommended for that length of time in the past two cycles. 17 schools that evening left with two-year renewals.
However, in a powerful act of advocacy, a board member stood up during the public meeting to speak directly to NLCP’s impact and the needs of the North Lawndale community. They urged the board to grant a four-year renewal so that NLCP could at least graduate one class without facing yet another renewal cycle.
NLCP now has a four-year charter renewal, which puts it as one of few schools with that long of a term. Of the multiple amendments that were brought to the floor that night, NLCP was the only amendment that was passed that night because of their work in their community.
In a moment when charter school renewals are increasingly politicized, NLCP’s win is a reminder that presence matters. Advocacy, visibility, and impact in the community can shift outcomes.
“I want to help make sure that our students always know they have that choice and that it’s not a fight for them to get it,” said Jemia. “We are providing them everything they need to have the same access that anyone in the city is afforded.”
Jemia acknowledges the added weight of leading a charter school in a city where the politics of renewal often overshadows the day-to-day work of teaching and learning.
“We’re fighting for our lives every few years,” she said. “District schools don’t face that. It diverts energy but keeps us honest and rooted in the people we serve.”
That deep sense of mission continues to guide her. “I try to remember that everyone in this work (charter leaders, district officials, board members) got into it because they care about kids. We might disagree on policy. But if we start from that shared place, we can find our way forward.”
Still, Jemia’s dedication is unwavering. “We’re not doing it for ourselves. We’re doing it for the people who will be here long past us and for the institution and the legacy.”
And when the work feels too heavy or politically stagnant, she grounds herself in the school’s mission and purpose.
“We’re all in it for the same reason,” said Jemia. “You don’t get into this work for glamour; you do it because you believe strongly in the values of education. This work is bigger than any of us.”