Meet the Curie Administration Team

Bilingual, Chicago instructional leader with over 18 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 rigorous educational experiences and exemplary supports for all marginalized students and their communities to drive multigenerational change.

He serves on CEO Martinez's Principal Advisory Committee, the Network 15 Leadership Team, and CPS' Principal Athletics Committee.

Alexander Kmicikewycz has spent nearly fifteen years as an educator in various roles across Chicago Public Schools, including as a math and science teacher at Brooks College Prep, resident principal at Kelly College Prep, and assistant principal at Curie High School.   He is passionate about social justice and empowering students to give back to their communities and the world.  He believes that a strong education begins with dedicated teachers who not only teach about academic subjects but also social and 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.