Sunny Chico

Sunny Chico is president of SPC Consulting, providing consulting services to school systems and providers of educational services in the areas of diversity, reform, administrative innovation efficiency, staff development and training, and compliance with federal, state, and local education law.

Her life has been shaped by two passions: family and education.  Born in Cuba, but forced to flee with her family, she was taught early that family is the foundation for life and education is the key to success.  Always a parent first, Sunny has been a teacher of special education, and a principal of public schools in Illinois.

She also served as Executive Director of Institutional Advancement for Waubonsee Community College, and as the Assistant to the Lieutenant Governor for Education for the State of Illinois where she led the state's School-to-Work effort.  In that capacity, she worked with legislators to initiate educational reforms.  She created the Governor's Human Resource Investment Council and served as its co-director.  

She is the former Region V director for the U.S. Department of Education for Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Throughout her career from teacher to federal director, she has explored ways to involve parents as partners in the education of their children.  This commitment has culminated in the creation of a series of booklets, You: Your Child’s First Teacher.  The three booklet series (preschool, elementary, and secondary) is geared towards engaging parents in the US education system, navigating them through the school system they choose, and maximizing their parental role/ involvement in the process.