Dr Kevin Brown

Dr. Kevin W. Brown is an educator, scholar, and community leader with more than 25 years of experience serving students and families across the Greater Chicago suburbs, Racine, Wisconsin, and Waukegan, Illinois. Throughout his career, he has worked as a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent, and deputy superintendent, shaping schools and communities through a commitment to equity and opportunity.

He currently serves as an adjunct professor of sociology at Oakton College in Des Plaines, Illinois, where he teaches courses in Social Problems and Deviant Behavior as well as active educator in the Greater Chicago Area. In addition to teaching, Dr. Brown writes research articles on poverty, adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma, and social justice, bringing both academic rigor and practical insight to some of the most pressing issues facing communities today.

Born and reared in Hammond, Louisiana, Dr. Brown earned a B.A. in Psychology and an M.A. in Sociology from Grambling State University, followed by a Ph.D. from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee. Though this is his first book, he has been a longtime voice on inequality and the crisis of males in the modern era.

When he’s not in classrooms or writing, Kevin’s passion for music takes center stage. He can often be found in Milwaukee-area jazz clubs or playing saxophone with his band. He is also a devoted husband and father of two sons, balancing his professional pursuits with a deep commitment to family.

Dr. Kevin Brown sets high standards and expectations for himself and his staff. He is an exemplary leader who approaches educational leadership with a commitment to innovation and the relevant best practice needed to improve student achievement. A step into Gilmore Middle School is all that one needs in order to see the knowledge, energy, and dedication that combine to create
an exceptional and challenging academic environments for all students. Under Mr. Brown’s direction, the culture and climate of the school has become one of ensuring successful student outcomes in the present while preparing students to be career and college ready in the future. The focus on having high expectations for every child, meeting the needs of students, using data to drive decisions, designing a rigorous curriculum, and holding staff accountable for student achievement has resulted in significant gains in closing achievement gaps for African American and Latino students. Mr. Brown’s understanding of the needs of diverse student populations, his willingness to have conversations with staff about race, and his ability to create impactful action steps were essential in realizing these measurable gains.
Laurie Burgos
Superintendent of Schools, Evansville, Wisconsin

In his first year at Cherokee, Dr. Brown had an automatic impact. He brought talent, vision, humor, and an incredible number of systems thinking to the way his staff did business. Dr. Brown is dedicated to educating youth and making an impact in communities. One of the great examples of his systems thinking approach is highlighted in his school wide Positive Behavior and Intervention Systems (PBIS). PBIS is a tiered approach aimed at providing students with the social skills needed to be successful. It starts with strong core of values. Kevin was critical in moving his school’s PBIS efforts forward by creating Universal Curriculum for teaching his school’s values. He visited every classroom and was part of the experience that engaged students in activities and community building on a deep level. As a result of his vision and other efforts his behavior data improved drastically. As a peer principal I’ve spent a great deal of time learning from his efforts. After making significant strides in the core curriculum Dr. Brown played a major role in his Behavior Response systems. The goal of his work was to provide the students with safe spaces to discuss challenges and “skill up” so they could independently navigate the social dynamics of school. Dr. Brown refined procedures as well as created multiple tools that increased communication and documentation. This was extremely important as his team attempted to reduce the number of students “slipping through the cracks”.
Tony Dugas
Principal
O’Keeffe Middle School
Madison Metropolitan School District

Kevin Brown is the kind of educator the field of education needs. His knowledge about local, state, and federal issues in education is remarkable. He understands the important role of both academic and non-academic factors when it comes to helping students graduating college and career ready. He knows that students who take Algebra II, for example, are more likely to complete college. He also knows that without mentorship and social-emtional supports students will fall victim to external forces beyond academic achievement. An example of how Kevin assures students he had their backs was when he arranged for free internet connection at a community center located in a Section 8 eligible housing development. He saw that students needed access to the school district’s system, so he built the relationship with the neighborhood and then worked with our IT Department to provide free wifi hotspots. Kevin is constantly challenging himself and others to become better – our children deserve it.
Peter Stiepleman
Superintendent
Columbia Public Schools

Dr. Brown is meticulous in planning and organizing, which he sees as essential tools to deliver a robust academic learning experience to every child. He has proven to be a successful administrator. He has exhibited to be fiscally sagacious. As a Principal and Central Services Executive his experience in balancing budgets has led to surpluses of the years while enhancing educational services through his transformational leadership approach. IN his handling of school daily operations, he worked with the resolve of both an astute businessman with fiscal matters and an effective educator, narrowing the achievement gap, on target performance, and effective school programming.
Jesse J. Rodriguez
Superintendent
Zion Benton High School District

Contact: Dr. Kevin Brown via email: [email protected]