Maximilian Cole 

Areas of Expertise: Cultural Relevance, Curriculum and Instruction, Access an Opportunity, Family and Community Engagement, Leadership, Motivational Speaking, Professional Learning 

Maximilian Cole is the MTSS Instructional Support Leader with the Network 16 family at Chicago Public Schools (CPS).  He is a 3rd generation educator.  

During his professional tenure, Max has been invited to speak at half-cap ceremonies, professional developments (district-wide and outside CPS), and conferences.  He has spoken on topics such as, How Are Diverse Learners Disciplined Differently? Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Highly Effective MTSS in the Classroom, and an Adult Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) session entitled – Treat Yo’ Self: Supporting Social-Emotional Learning for Adults.  

After graduating from Tennessee State University, Max decided to join Teach For America to become a 2013 Chicago corps member.  Seven years and two Masters’ degrees later (National Louis University and Columbia University), Max took the giant leap into leadership from the classroom.  In 2020, he became a Special Education Administrator for Network 17 focusing on instructional support for diverse learning classrooms.  In the winter of 2022, he became the assistant principal for Walter H. Dyett High School for the Arts.   

Max's journey in the field of education has been filled with passion, necessary challenges, and unspeakable joy.  Being given the opportunity to meet educators from around the nation, mingle with like-minded leaders, foster strong communities, and help mold the future generation has been an honor.  As Max continues to uplift Gen Alpha (new term for the generation after Gen Z), he is eager to impart the lessons he's learned from his grandmother and father (both educators): work smart, not hard; there's a solution to every problem so go find it; and always leave someone with a smile.