Meet Dr. Peggie Burnett-Wise

Dr. Peggie Burnett-Wise is an educational leadership scholar, executive coach, school founder, and advocate for equity in education. Through Wise Leadership Consulting, she partners with school districts, universities, foundations, and families to develop leaders who transform schools and communities from the inside out.

Her work sits at a rare intersection: founding and leading Uhuru Shule, an independent school for gifted Black children in Chicago; directing the M.A. in Instructional Leadership with Principal Endorsement program at Roosevelt University; coaching sitting Chicago Public Schools principals through the Chicago Public Education Fund’s Malott Fellowship in partnership with UIC’s Center for Urban Education Leadership; and providing consulting and professional development through Wise Leadership Consulting.

What connects all of this work is a deep commitment to the idea that leadership is not a title but a practice of liberation. Dr. Burnett-Wise helps leaders navigate the technical and adaptive challenges of leading for equity in complex systems.

Executive Leadership Coaching

Individualized coaching for sitting principals and district leaders navigating the adaptive challenges of school transformation, instructional coherence, and equity-centered leadership.

Principal Preparation and Pipeline Design

Consultation for universities and school districts building or strengthening principal preparation programs rooted in culturally responsive leadership and real-world clinical experience.

Culturally Responsive Professional Development

Workshops and training series for school teams on culturally relevant pedagogy, instructional leadership, and building school cultures where every child’s brilliance is recognized.

Parent Advocacy and School Navigation

Workshops and consultations for parents navigating school choice, gifted identification, literacy development, and how to advocate effectively for their children within complex school systems.

School Founding Consultation

Guidance for communities and educators ready to launch independent, alternative, or culturally centered schools, from vision and curriculum design to governance and operations.

Uhuru Shule Cooperative

An independent school in Chicago’s Bronzeville community serving gifted learners through culturally grounded, project-based education.

Roosevelt University Instructional Leadership Program

The M.A. in Instructional Leadership with Principal Endorsement prepares the next generation of diverse school leaders for Illinois. This program is a recipient of the competitive Illinois State Board of Education’s Principal Recruitment Grant.

The Malott Fellowship

A principal coaching fellowship with the Chicago Public Education Fund and UIC, supporting CPS principals in transformative leadership development.