Meet the Curie Administration Team

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.

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.