Christopher House
Glenna Jakush has a diverse work experience in early childhood education. Glenna started their career in 1990 at Lifelink Corp - Head Start, where they served as a Teacher, Family Worker, and Home Visitor for two decades. In 2010, Glenna moved to Onward Neighborhood House, where they worked as a Type 04 Lead Teacher, responsible for the care, education, and assessment of preschool-aged children. Glenna also supervised the teaching team and maintained regular communication with parents. In 2012, Glenna joined Christopher House as a Master Teacher, overseeing the care and education of 20 preschool-age children and supervising two assistant teachers. Recently, in 2021, they transitioned to the role of Mentor Teacher at Christopher House, supporting and coaching teachers to enhance teacher/child interactions, classroom management, and classroom environment. Additionally, Glenna collaborates with administrators to facilitate professional development opportunities for the teachers.
Glenna Jakush completed their Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign from 1984 to 1988. Glenna then pursued a Master's degree in Early Childhood Education at the Erikson Institute from 2004 to 2010. In 2013, Glenna attended the University of Illinois Chicago for a short period to study English as a Second Language.
Glenna has obtained several certifications as well. Glenna obtained a license in Early Childhood and Elementary Education from the Illinois State Board of Education in July 2015. Furthermore, they received certification as a PreK CLASS Observer from Teachstone in December 2016. Glenna is also Bilingual/ESL endorsed, although the specific details regarding when and where they obtained this endorsement are not provided.
Christopher House
Christopher House's family of schools provides low-income children and their parents with high-quality education programs that prepare them for success in school, the workplace, and life. Christopher House’s unique, proven model of education, from birth through high school, levels the playing field for low-income children. We partner with families to provide a continuum of schools serving infant, preschool, elementary, high school, and adult students, as well as support services that create stable, self-sufficient families. Our centers are nationally renowned and have earned the highest ratings in the City of Chicago. High standards and a commitment to continuous quality improvement are the driving force behind all of our work. We group our programs into four schools: Infant and Pre-School, Elementary School, After-School, and Parent School. We focus on each child’s overall growth and development which has a positive, measurable impact on their ability to succeed. Understanding that educating the child is not enough, we also provide supportive services to the entire family that help build stability and self-sufficiency. We serve over 5,000 children and family members every year through our five sites on Chicago’s north and west sides.