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MENTOR PROGRAM FOR ADMINISTRATORS
If you have hired a new educational administrator in your district, such as an assistant superintendent, director, coordinator, principal, or assistant principal, look to the North Cook ISC (NCISC) for mentoring services! We support both experienced and new administrators in their leadership roles. Our mentors offer motivation and inspire growth.
Our Mentor Program is a valuable investment in the success of your administrators. The NCISC utilizes only experienced, professional mentors to help you support, train, and retain quality administrative leaders.
If you have any questions about the NCISC's mentoring services or would like to be a mentor, please contact Dr. April Jordan at ajordan@ncisc.org or 847-803-5604.
YEAR-ONE BENEFITS FOR ADMINISTRATORS
- 50 Hours of Quality 1:1 Mentoring Time (in-person/virtual)
- 1 Free Administrator Academy – $225 Value
- Guest Speakers on topics such as Climate & Culture, Candid Conversations with Warmth, Time Management & Life Balance, District/School Improvement
- 3 Half-Days of Professional Learning
Each new administrator works with an experienced and accomplished mentor with similar professional experience for a minimum of 50 hours over the course of the first year. These 50 hours of mentoring support consist of virtual/in-person/email/phone collaboration between the mentor and mentee. With their mentor, mentees have the opportunity to welcome onsite visits, attend PL held at NCISC, and engage in other networking opportunities. Mentees may use the hours spent in the program toward their professional development licensure renewal requirements (PDHs).
Our Year-One Mentor Program for Administrators enhances student outcomes by focusing on building relationships, developing instructional leadership skills, and strengthening systems and operations with new administrators.
Carefully selected mentors assist new administrators with their career transition and how to respond to real-life challenges and the daily stresses of being an administrative leader.
The cost to the district is $3,200 for each administrator.
YEAR-TWO BENEFITS FOR ADMINISTRATORS
- 25 Hours of Quality 1:1 Mentoring Time (in-person/virtual)
- 1 Free Administrator Academy – $225 Value
- 3 Half-Days of Professional Learning for the Administrator
In our second-year program, administrators continue to work with their established mentor for another year with a focus on honing their leadership skills, defining specific goals and action plans, and advancing growth and innovation.
A minimum of 25 hours of mentoring support consists of virtual/in-person/email/phone collaboration between the mentor and mentee. Mentees may use the hours spent in the program toward their professional development licensure renewal requirements (PDHs).
The cost to the district is $1,600 for each administrator.
NORTH COOK ISC MENTORS
Our mentors are experienced administrators from high-performing Illinois school districts. The mentors dedicate time and professional learning to assist mentees in fostering positive relationships among their staff and colleagues. Both instructional leadership and culturally responsive leadership are at the heart of this guidance. A focus is placed on the Illinois Performance Standards for School Leaders, as well. All mentees are paired with a mentor who has a similar administrative grade-level experience (e.g., early childhood, elementary, middle, or high school).
Mentors are vetted through a screening process with the Assistant Regional Superintendent. See the videos below to learn about the benefits of the NCISC’s Mentor Program for Administrators.
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Testimonials from Participants about their Experience with North Cook ISC's Mentoring Program
"I think it definitely created networking opportunities between the participants. It was helpful to hear about everyone else's first year in their positions. The best part of the entire program is the connections that we made with our mentors. My mentor is someone that I see having a long term relationship with for support in the future. Thank you for connecting me with him!"
"I loved...the Professional Development this year on Race and Equity as well as Candid Conversations. Both were transformative to my growth and development."
"Through a combination of reading, professional conversations and lots of observation, I learned a tremendous amount about best practice curriculum and instruction. I also learned about myself and my educational and leadership philosophies in action. It was powerful to be able to apply these ideologies in practice and see their impact within our school community."
"It was helpful to be able to bounce ideas off of my mentor and talk through scenarios, strategies, etc. with an experienced educator in a safe environment."
"I felt more comfortable designing professional development and a school improvement plan due to the time spent and collaboration with my mentor."