From left: University of Chicago Charter School CEO and director Shayne Evans, Pomona College Posse alumnus Alix Coupet and DePauw University Posse alumnus Landon Jones.

Alumni Reform Public Education at University of Chicago Charter School

Spring 2015 | Chicago

Pomona College Posse alumnus Alix Coupet and DePauw University Posse alumnus Landon Jones have spent the past two years working at the University of Chicago Charter School, an initiative of the Urban Education Institute (UEI) tasked with creating “knowledge to produce reliably excellent urban schooling.”

The Charter School provides urban students a pathway to college.Using applied research, improving preparation and training for classroom teachers, and sharing proven tools and solutions to ensure student success, the school and UEI are dedicated to making significant improvements to the quality of American education.

Alix, the chief college officer of the University of Chicago Charter School, is responsible for ensuring 100 percent college acceptance and graduation for the 1,900 students on the four campuses on Chicago’s south side. Together with Landon and Shayne Evans, the chief executive officer and director of the Charter School, Alix established the Maroons Male Mentoring Project, a series of workshops held on campus every Saturday, in the effort to “increase exposure to the possibilities and opportunities for young men of color from the south side of Chicago.”

Landon, the alumni coordinator of the University of Chicago Charter School and UEI, supports all graduates by creating and maintaining an active social network with the school’s alumni. Through his role, Landon assists alumni from all four campuses in acquiring scholarships and access to higher education, in addition to internships and full-time employment.

Alix holds a master’s in ethics and African-American religions from Harvard University and previously was an admissions officer at Stanford University. Prior to UEI, Landon was a graduate outreach assistant at Indiana University from which he is currently pursuing a master’s in African studies.