Educational Leader | Equity Advocate | Multilingual Education Strategist

Dr. Olimpia Bahena is a visionary and equity-driven educator with over 30 years of experience as a teacher, principal, and system-level leader in Chicago Public Schools. As a proud immigrant, her lived experiences—as a student, parent, and professional—have fueled a lifelong commitment to honoring student identity, expanding access to multilingual education, and championing culturally responsive leadership.

Dr. Bahena most recently served as Deputy Chief of the Office of Multilingual-Multicultural Education, where she led the development of the CPS Multilingual Pathways Framework and conceptualized the district’s Five-Year Multilingual Pathways Priority, positioning biliteracy as a central academic goal. Under her leadership, the district expanded dual language programming across 43 schools, built data structures to assess biliteracy growth, and created high-impact professional learning systems for educators and school leaders.

Previously, she served for 13 years as principal of a nationally recognized dual language school, where she implemented inclusive instructional models, built strong teacher leadership structures, and cultivated community partnerships. Dr. Bahena is a National Board Certified Teacher and an alumna of the Cahn Fellows Program, CPS Principal Fellowship, and the Fulbright Principal Exchange. She has contributed to state and national policy conversations through panels, publications, and her leadership on advisory councils.

A servant-leader at heart, Dr. Bahena continues to mentor aspiring Latino leaders and serves on the board of the Latino Leadership Pipeline. Her work exemplifies the power of transformational leadership grounded in purpose, identity, and equity.