Courtney Francis is a native of New York City and a graduate of Brown University (Providence, RI), who came to Chicago for graduate school. Her B.A. is in Economics with a minor in Urban Studies. Courtney holds a master's degree from University of Chicago in Social Service Administration and Policy, with a focus in Program Management and Administration. She is one class away from an M.A. in TESL/Applied Linguistics here at NEIU. Her academic interests include language contact, American English dialect, research in Innovative ESL teaching methods, and English language learner interface with native English speakers in urban settings. Outside interests include swimming, art appreciation, researching her family history and spending time with her husband and her four children.

In TESL, Francis teaches TESL 399 (TESL Clinical Experience) and TESL 340 (Practices and Procedures). She also teaches Developmental Writing and select courses in the Social Work Department and taught four semesters of ESL at Northeastern El Centro.