Elizabeth Dozier

Managing Director, Chicago Beyond; Former Principal, Christian Fenger High School, Chicago
@LizDozier
@Chicago_Beyond

A lifelong educator, Liz Dozier has spent her career working tirelessly to interrupt the culture of inequity that is often pervasive in urban education. Dozier is most known for her innovative and creative approaches as a school principal to successfully addressing the complex needs of the whole child.
 

In 2016, Dozier launched Chicago Beyond, a privately held organization that supports nonprofits working to improve life outcomes for young Chicagoans. Chicago Beyond invests in and analyzes new, innovative ideas and scalable programs to address two urgent issues that are flip sides of the same coin– youth safety and educational attainment. Over time, Chicago Beyond aims to leverage its findings to spark further public and philanthropic investments in work that does the most good per dollar to improve the lives of Chicago’s young people.
 

In 2008, Dozier was selected by then CEO of Chicago Public Schools, former US Secretary Arne Duncan, to participate in a bold strategy for improving Chicago’s lowest performing schools, known as the Turnaround Model. Dozier joined the team as co-principal at Chicago’s first turnaround high school, while simultaneously developing the instructional strategy and framework for future turnaround schools. Dozier later became the principal at Christian Fenger Academy High School, which at the time was known as one of the most violent and underperforming schools in the city of Chicago. Under Dozier’s leadership, Fenger experienced a decrease in its dropout rate from 19 percent to 2 percent, a 40 percent increase in Freshmen On-Track to graduate, and double digit increases in attendance and the school’s state graduation rate. During Dozier’s tenure from 2008-15, Fenger became one of the district leaders in restorative justice, social and emotional learning and academic interventions.
 

Dozier’s work has been featured in Paul Tough’s NY Times best-selling book, How Children Succeed and Harvard Education Press’ Belonging and Becoming: The Power of Social Emotional Learning in High Schools. Ebony magazine named Dozier one of 2014’s “Power 100” and CNN followed her work as a part of its 8-episode docu-series, Chicagoland. Dozier and the story of Fenger have been highlighted by Education Week, National Public Radio, the Chicago Tribune, Nightly News with Brian Williams and several other local and international media outlets. Dozier has been invited to speak about her work at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, the University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics, as well as numerous other public and business institutions.
 

A Nationally Board Certified Teacher in mathematics and graduate of the New Leaders program, Dozier holds a bachelor’s degree in business as well as a master’s degree in educational leadership. Dozier is most known for her innovative and creative approaches to successfully addressing the complex needs of the whole child. She is inspired by the potential and promise that lies within every child.