![2023 PALs Part One Blog Cover Graphic has four photos in the background that line up in the row. The photos show the principals of DRW College Prep, Muchin College Prep, Johnson College Prep, and Golder College Prep in casual environments with their families and pets. On top of the photos is a dark blue transparent layer. On top of that and in the bottom left corner is a yellow box with dark blue text on it that reads "Meet Noble's Principals (Part One)". The Noble Schools logo is in the bottom right corner.](https://nobleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/2023-PALs-Part-One-Blog-Cover.jpg)
As we celebrate Principal Appreciation Month, we wanted to feature ALL of our principals so our whole Noble community can get to know them.
To kick off, we’re featuring the principals of DRW College Prep, Muchin College Prep, Johnson College Prep, and Golder College Prep!
Stay tuned! We’ll return with more photos and details from our other 13 principals as we continue to celebrate.
PRINCIPAL TINA ELLIS | DRW COLLEGE PREP
![Tina-Ellis-Headshot Photo shows a professional headshot of Tina Ellis, principal of DRW College Prep. She is a Black woman with long black hair. She is wearing a pink blouse with a navy blazer. There is a blank gray background behind her.](https://nobleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Tina-Ellis-Headshot-scaled.jpeg)
Tina Ellis is proud to be the new principal at DRW College Prep. Born and raised on the East Coast, Ellis considers herself a woman of faith and family. As the daughter of immigrants, she is passionate about immigration reform and equipping students with the skills they need to complete college.
Ellis has worked in education for over two decades in various capacities. Before coming to Noble in 2019, she taught in Boston, Gary, Hammond, and Chicago. During this time, Ellis received recognition for the Core Value Award from Noble Schools in 2020. She also received the Outstanding Educator Award in 2019 and A Disciplined Life Award in 2015.
Ellis attended Boston College and Cambridge College and received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications and her Master of Education degree, respectively. She has also received an additional master’s degree in secondary education from Indiana University.
Ellis believes her success in education is because of the solid relationships she builds with students and families. She looks forward to pursuing excellence for DRW students and their families!
PRINCIPAL CHASE JOHNSON-ESPINOZA | MUCHIN COLLEGE PREP
Chase Johnson-Espinoza grew up in Riverside, California. He has always loved school and was inspired by his passionate teachers to become a teacher himself.
He graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Legal Studies. Johnson-Espinoza went on to join the Teach for America corps in Chicago, where he was a math learning specialist.
Johnson-Espinoza joined the Muchin team in July of 2011. During his tenure at Muchin, Johnson-Espinoza has been a learning specialist, math teacher, dean of students, and assistant principal. While at Muchin, Johnson-Espinoza earned his Master of Arts in Teaching and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership.
As principal, he is grateful to work with the Muchin community to provide a transformative education that honors our scholars’ brilliance, affirms their unique identities, and equips them to complete college and lead choice-filled lives.
PRINCIPAL JONAS CLEAVES | JOHNSON COLLEGE PREP
![Jonas-Cleaves-2023 Photo is a professional headshot of Jonas Cleaves, principal of Johnson College Prep, in his school hallways. He is a Black man who is bald and is wearing a white button up shirt with a dark blue jacket and matching tie. He is smiling.](https://nobleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Jonas-Cleaves-2023-scaled.jpeg)
Jonas Cleaves was born and raised on Chicago’s Southside. He is an Army Veteran who served a tour in Iraq (2004). After receiving an Honorable Discharge from the Army, he completed his Bachelor of Arts in Marketing and a Master of Education in Educational Leadership.
Mr. Cleaves became passionate about education after seeing the impact of the school-to-prison pipeline while working at a re-entry program for individuals recently released from prison. He started working at Muchin College Prep in 2009 as a founding dean of culture and was promoted to assistant principal in 2016.
After seven years at Muchin, Mr. Cleaves went on to further his educational leadership skills. He attended The New Teacher Project’s turnaround school leadership program in Philadelphia. After completing that program, Mr. Cleaves was hired as the founding principal of Bluff City High School in Memphis, TN.
Mr. Cleaves returned to Chicago in 2019 to lead Johnson College Prep and support the revitalization of the Englewood community.
JESSIE WEINGARTNER | GOLDER COLLEGE PREP
![JessieWeingartner2 Photo shows a professional headshot of Jessie Weingartner, principal of Golder College Prep. She is a white woman with long straight brown hair. She is smiling and wearing a black long sleeve blouse and gold hoop earrings. The background is a solid gray color.](https://nobleschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/JessieWeingartner2-scaled.jpg)
Originally from Hyde Park, Chicago, Jessie is the proud principal of Golder College Prep. Jessie began her career at Noble in the summer of 2014 as the founding Assistant Dean of Students at The Noble Academy. At The Noble Academy, Jessie also held a number of other positions — she taught 9th grade English and served as the assistant principal of the upperschool and assistant principal of academics.
Prior to joining Noble, she taught 2nd and 3rd grade special education in New Orleans and served as her school’s Response-to-Intervention coordinator, implementing academic and behavioral interventions for students in grades K-4th.
Jessie earned her Bachelor of Arts in International Comparative Studies from Duke University. She then earned her Master of Education from the University of Houston in 2016. In 2017, she completed Noble Schools’ Principal Fellowship.
She loves the students, staff, and families of Golder College Prep and is proud to be a panther!