Feb 20, 2023 9:00:00 AM
In 2018, the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) launched Great Expectations Mentoring (GEM) with a clear goal: by 2024, mentors with experiences in district leadership would support 150 Black male and Latinx school administrators, network staff and central office leaders to take their next step in leadership development and career.
Ultimately, GEM intends to grow a pipeline of equity-minded Black and Latinx administrators and district leaders who deeply connect with CPS students’ cultures, contexts and communities.
As of June 2022, three cohorts of GEM fellows totaling 83 leaders have worked with GEM mentors to help build trusting relationships that influence others to action, hone their strategic vision and problem-solving skills and strengthen their perseverance and drive for impact. Nearly half of those 83 GEM fellows have already received promotions within CPS and their work has positively affected more than 47,000 students.
Mentoring for Equity
This year-long leadership development program focuses on leadership and equity–not just for students, but for mentees and their mentors, too. The GEM program benefits both mentees and their mentors. GEM fellows work with a mentor coach to develop their knowledge of the CPS Equity Framework and tap their existing strengths as they bring equity to life in their schools and in partnership with their mentees.
To achieve equitable outcomes, we must have shared language, tools and accountability for supporting our students and communities. The Equity Framework grounds us in the values and structures essential to doing the transformative personal, relational and institutional work necessary to create more-equitable learning experiences and outcomes. With the framework as our common language, we have a starting point to create meaningful change in our communities, schools and across the district.
What Happens in Mentoring Sessions?
Effective mentoring allows mentees to develop their communication skills: asking the right questions, speaking openly and honestly about challenges while developing solutions and maintaining a positive mindset focused on growth. Mentees should walk out of each mentoring session with clear next steps to implement what was discussed. Mentors should be readily available to connect and consult when needed, not just during scheduled sessions.
Here are some of the concrete strategies we have seen work to empower mentors and mentees:
Mentoring starts with a vision based on honesty and equity. Then mentees and mentors can work together to address opportunity gaps and discover and implement best practices to address the particular needs of the moment. The work to apply best practices will inevitably push growing leaders to find their inner resilience, drive and perseverance. Mentors can help those emerging leaders align their work with best practices and build their capacity for empathy, equity and results.
Ultimately, great mentoring moves beyond the 1-to-1 relationship of mentor and mentee to take a holistic view of schools embedded in communities. Great mentoring of school and district leaders must include a strong focus on building relational accountability with everyone involved–staff, students and families.
Great mentoring can help emerging leaders take an asset-based view of their school communities, building meaningful engagement with parents and community partners to build strong partnerships for student success. Great mentoring can also help emerging leaders build relationships with strong, community-based organizations for the benefit of all involved.
If we want all of Chicago’s students to be valued fully and to experience the opportunities that they need to excel academically, socially and emotionally, then we need to develop leadership capacity to address our equity goals. The GEM program shows us how this work is getting done.
Carlos Azcoitia served as the deputy chief of education of Chicago Public Schools. Currently, Azcoitia serves as Professor Emeritus in Educational Leadership at National Louis University. Evangelina Covarrubias is the executive director for the Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Equity. She leads the GEM mentoring program to foster more Black male and Latinx leadership across the district.
The story you tell yourself about your own math ability tends to become true. This isn’t some Oprah aphorism about attracting what you want from the universe. Well, I guess it kind of is, but...
If you have a child with disabilities, you’re not alone: According to the latest data, over 7 million American schoolchildren — 14% of all students ages 3-21 — are classified as eligible for special...
The fight for educational equity has never been just about schools. The real North Star for this work is providing opportunities for each child to thrive into adulthood. This means that our advocacy...
Ed Post is the flagship website platform of brightbeam, a 501(c3) network of education activists and influencers demanding a better education and a brighter future for every child.
© 2020-2025 brightbeam. All rights reserved.
Leave a Comment