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Mentor Program for Administrators

When you hire 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. 

Our Mentor Program is a valuable investment in the success of your administrators. NCISC uses experienced, professional mentors to help you support, train and retain quality administrative leaders. We support both experienced and new administrators in their leadership roles. Our mentors offer motivation and inspire growth.

If you have questions about NCISC's mentoring services or would like to be a mentor, please contact Alina Morelli Baima at amorellibaima@ncisc.org or 847-803-6702.

NCISC Mentors

NCISC's 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 NCISC Executive Director.

Year-One Benefits 

  • 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 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 per administrator.

Year-Two Benefits

  • 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 the 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.

What Participants Say

One hundred percent  of participants in the 2022-2023 Mentor Program for Administrators said they are Highly Likely or Likely to recommend the North Cook mentoring program to others.

What insights did you gain as a result of the relationship with your mentor and the time you spent together?

"My mentor's insight and experience helped me work through a lot of tough conversations and situations in my first year. Also, just having her as a critical friend and someone I can voice my concerns or questions I had. I really appreciated her support through it all."

"Talking out scenarios and situations and making sure the approach is equitable, consistent and takes consideration of the variables."

"The most helpful times were when we simply talked about challenges at the school I was facing with a student, staff, or parent. We would talk and problem-solve." 

What support or strategies used by your mentor were most helpful to you?

"The guidance and advice to common or not-so-common problems, the space to problem-solve, and resources for my professional goals."

"Having someone outside of the district to bounce ideas off has been critical for my development. I was able to gain different perspectives and get advice on how to handle difficult situations."

"My mentor was a strong thought partner and sounding board for me this year. She provided guidance by giving me space to have 'productive struggle' with support so that I could grow as a leader in a way that was meaningful to my needs."