Dr. Lionel Allen, Jr. has almost twenty years of experience in education as a teacher, assistant principal, turnaround principal, and chief academic officer. He is an education reform consultant, principal coach, and is a frequently invited speaker and panelist. In 2005, Lionel was selected to become the nation’s first turnaround principal. He is the founder of edLeaders Matter, an organization designed to improve schools by focusing on leadership development. Currently, he serves as Clinical Assistant Professor of Educational Policy Studies at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where he trains, develops and supports aspiring and novice school leaders. His work has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, CNN, PBS, and Edutopia as part of their “Schools That Work” series.