Years ago, when Sharanda Morehead was a teacher at LEARN Romano Butler in the Chicago neighborhood of North Lawndale, she remembers how Margaret Romano would pop into her classroom about once a week. She would say things like, “How are things going?” or “What do you need?” During the next week’s check-in, Romano often arrived with whatever they’d discussed.
Those moments remain vivid for Morehead, who is now Principal at LEARN Romano Butler, a role she has had for six years; she has been a school administrator there for 15 years.
“I think the way in which I support teachers is the same way that she supported me,” Morehead says.
Paving the Way for Student Success
At the Romano Bulter campus, 475 uniformed students are engaged in lessons. Walls include inspirational posters: “Always Believe In Yourself” and “Great Readers Make Great Leaders.” One room held rows of pianos, where students showed how they could sightread from music on the wall.
During a visit this spring, a half-dozen students shared their experiences about everything from rehearsals for The Wiz, the “Broadway in North Lawndale” production they put on in May, to eighth graders who are looking forward to events planned around their graduation and celebrating next steps toward high school.
“I’ve got mixed feelings, moving on,” says Ayzarie Boddy, 14, who is president of the student council; through this, she has channeled her design interests into creating campaign fliers. She loved the camping trip they took — “being able to bond without being on a phone.”
The campus is the flagship campus in Chicago within the LEARN network, which has 4,000 students across 11 campuses, including other campuses in North Chicago and one in Waukegan and Washington, D.C.
LEARN campuses are free, open-enrollment, public charter schools. Any student can enroll; there are no testing requirements, which removes a barrier to entry for students who want to achieve academic success and attend college. If there are more applications than seats available, LEARN admits students by public lottery. Right now, there’s a wait list of more than 1,000 across the network.
“LEARN schools are the highest-performing schools in each of the communities in which they operate,” says LEARN’s President and CEO Greg White. “Not only do we provide an excellent, free public education, but we support students beyond eighth grade – helping to place them in college prep high schools and supporting them all the way through college graduation.”
The founders were Margaret Rawls, Ernestine Rivers, and Patricia Vockeroth. Romano Butler was the first school formed, starting with two classrooms in 1980. Romano helped with the school; she started volunteering a year and a half after the others.
More Than a School
For Zuri Byers, 12, LEARN is a place to explore her twin interests in acting and potentially becoming president.
And for Tyler Stewart, 12, it’s a place where, when he advocated for starting a soccer team, leaders listened. He now plays center midfield on the school team, and he’s able to follow interests in writing a book (working title: Perfidy) as well as career plans B and C should soccer not work out.
Morehead sees part of her job as being in the talent business to find and retain strong educators. Many have remained for years or even decades.
“I think that says a lot about who we are here,” Morehead says. “LEARN is not a revolving door for educators. They come and stay.”
As for the students, Morehead, who greets each child passing in the hallway by name, maintains high expectations. Some of their students are from homes that have experienced trauma. Grandparents are raising some. Many will be the first to attend college.
The important thing is leveling the playing field at Romano Butler. The students and administration hold all students to high standards and encourage excellence.
“There is something special and unique about LEARN and what we have been able to accomplish over the years,” Morehead says.
Math teacher Jadah Dowdy herself came to Romano Butler in sixth grade, after her parents switched schools for her and her two sisters until they found one that they thought challenged and supported students enough.
Dowdy remembers being bored in previous schools. Although switching schools was intimidating at the time, she was delighted to find all the things Romano Butler offered that her previous school didn’t, like an opportunity for dissection in science class and hatching baby chicks.
“That is something I didn’t have at different schools,” Dowdy says. “It was kind of a safe haven.” Now, as a teacher, she added, “I feel heard here. I’m allowed to explore different areas of teaching.”
After teaching through Teach For America, she returned to Chicago to join Romano Butler. She’s been at Romano Butler for five years. Now, through helming the internship program, Dowdy connects former students with opportunities, keeping a tight connection. Last year, more than 100 former students interned across the city in political offices, community organizations, and at the LEARN campuses.
A Network of Ongoing Support
Morehead noted the impact of individuals like renowned kitchen designer Mick De Giulio, who has supported the school for decades through both financial contributions and student-focused initiatives, including a holiday card design contest that showcases student artwork while generating donations for LEARN.
Morehead also pointed to support from Riot Fest, the Chicago music festival known nationally for bringing some of the biggest names in rock, punk, and alternative music, including Green Day, Blink-182, Patti Smith, and Twenty One Pilots, to North Lawndale. The festival has built an ongoing relationship with Romano Butler, supporting everything from graduation celebrations to student events and productions. For this year’s production of The Wiz, Riot Fest donated professional staging, lighting, sound equipment, and technical support.
Such partnerships reflect a broader LEARN philosophy that emphasizes long-term investment in students, alumni, teachers, and the communities surrounding each campus.
Creating a Positive Environment for Teachers
Retaining teachers like Dowdy is a key piece of the puzzle for Morehouse. Just as Romano kept a close line of communication with Morehead, she wants Romano Butler to be a place where teachers feel heard. When they changed schedules, they welcomed participation from the staff. They invest in professional development and ensure time off.
What’s special about Romano Butler is hard to summarize in a sentence. The children variously define it as a place they feel safe, a place they feel heard, a place they celebrate each other, whether it be for making the honor roll or by creating a pop-up shop at report card pickup to show off students’ artwork and creations.
And it’s also a connection they know won’t end at graduation.
“It’s important that the work does not stop here,” Morehead says. “We are their family. We are their support system.” Alumni return often, whether during a day off from school or at career information events, to share their own experiences and success.
That sense of continuity extends beyond students to the educators who help shape their experience.
“Retaining our teachers, leaders, and staff is one of the most essential ingredients to LEARN’s success,” White says. “It is no secret that educators get stronger the longer they are in the classroom. As we retain more and more teachers, we increase our positive momentum and our students’ success.”
Morehead is proud of what students achieve. All Romano Butler students attend college prep high schools, often with scholarships. Morehead believes consistency is key — nurturing teachers just as Romano did for her.
“Her spirit is still here,” she says. “Our impact is spreading.”
How to Help
LEARN schools are a tuition-free public charter school network that depends on strong partnerships to succeed. Donations toward LEARN dismantle barriers to learning, transforming lives and communities.
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Alison Bowen is an award-winning journalist whose work has appeared in publications like The New York Times, CHICAGO magazine, Cosmopolitan magazine and the Chicago Tribune, where she was a staff reporter and editor for a decade. She is drawn to stories about maternal health, well-being, trauma and resilience.
