Meet the Curie Administration Team
Principal Homero Peñuelas, Ed.D
Bilingual, Chicago instructional leader with over 15 years of proven experience in improving post-secondary outcomes for students in a diverse, large neighborhood school with multiple magnet programs; deeply committed to eliminating educational inequities for Chicago’s students by improving school’s post-secondary structures, eliminating barriers to higher level courses and providing social-emotional supports for all students in conjunction with a restorative approach to climate and culture.
Dr . Peñuelas has been a teacher, assistant principal, and now principal at Curie High School. His experience as an undocumented student and the barriers he faced in gaining access to post-high school education has led to the establishment of Curie’s current vision: Curie will LEAD the district in providing exemplary support for all marginalized students and their communities.
He serves on CEO Martinez's Principal Advisory Committee, the Network 15 Leadership Team, and CPS' Principal Athletics Committee.
Assistant Principal Starlet Banks
Native Chicagoan with over 27 years of demonstrated service in human & community development and at least 19 years of experience advocating for the needs of minoritized students, promoting educational outcomes, and eradicating systemic barriers at the elementary, secondary, and district levels within Chicago Public Schools.
Mrs. Banks has served as a teacher, district representative for the Office of Diverse Learner Supports & Services, and now assistant principal at Curie HS. AP Banks loves working at Curie HS because our school offers our students a myriad of secondary opportunities and pathways. She enjoys the inspiration that comes from supporting our students and staff, witnessing their growth and development, and from sharing their accomplishments. She aims to increase graduation on-track and scholarship metrics through my work with the Counseling Department, College and Career Center, Post-Secondary Leadership Team, 12th-grade GLT PLC, and Credit Recovery. I want to promote school-wide discourse and goal setting as we continually aim to strengthen student voice in our school through my Culture, Climate, & Equity - Student Voice work.
Contact Information: [email protected]
BACKGROUND
-Whitney Young HS (c/o ’95)
-University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (c/o ’00)
B.S. Psychology
B.S. Human and Community Development
Phi Upsilon Omicron Honors, Dean’s List, President’s Award Scholarship, Senior 100 Honors
Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc.
-Roosevelt University. (c/o ’05) M.A. Special Education Type 10 (LBS1) Certification (Dean’s List, 4.0 GPA)
-American College of Education (c/o ’12) - M. Ed. Educational Leadership – Type 75 Certification (Dean’s List, 4.0 GPA)
Assistant Principal Brad Gill

Assistant Principal Kmicikewycz
Alexander Kmicikewycz has spent nearly fifteen years as an educator with various roles across Chicago Public Schools including as a Math and Science Teacher at Brooks College Prep, Resident Principal at Kelly College Prep, and as an Assistant Principal at Curie High School. He is passionate about social justice and empowering students to give back to their communities and the world around them. He believes that a strong education begins with dedicated teachers who not only teach about academic subjects but also about social emotional well-being. Alexander’s most important role has been advocating for a high-quality education for all students regardless of socioeconomic background. Students, teachers, and families learn together so that all can reach their fullest potential.
Assistant Principal Katie Shanovich
Assistant Principal Jasmine Vasquez-Dorner
Climate and Culture Coordinator Lizeth Lamourt
Business Manager Patricia Wetherspoon
