Learning While Leading (LWL) Project
LWL Project Purpose
- To provide professional learning and coaching support to educators with a Type 75 or principal endorsement who are not in a school leadership position but have been identified by the district as high-potential candidates for future principal vacancies.
- To address the principal shortage by tapping into teachers and teacher leaders with principal certification (Type 75 or Principal Endorsement) and design succession planning system through a local low-cost Grow Your Own model.
LWL Participant Criteria
•Participant must be an educator in a public elementary, middle, or high school that possesses a Type 75 certificate or Principal Endorsement but is not currently serving in a principal or assistant principal position.
•Participant must be interested in pursuing a school principal position in 2023-2024 school year.
•Participant must have sign off by their district and school to participate in the project, including training/coaching support and completion of a year-long continuous improvement project with a team of teachers during the 2022-2023 school year.
•Participant must actively pursue a principal position in 2023-2024 school year and participate in the New Principal Mentoring program offered through this grant (housed at DuPage ROE).
•Participant must participate in Lead|Ed Professional Learning Series during 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 school year
•Participant must participate in data collection requirements of the grant, including annual surveys by West Ed (project evaluator)
LWL District/School Criteria
Public school districts that have a principal vacancy anticipated in the FY24 school year and can identify an internal high-potential candidate that is not currently serving as an assistant principal or principal.
Qualifying districts must participate in ISBE’s required annual standardized student assessment and 5 Essentials Survey
The district must commit to supporting the LWL candidate during the project, including:
•Providing support for LWL participant to complete school improvement project with a team of teachers
•Allow participation of LWL participant in New Principal Mentoring program and Lead|Ed professional learning series (if the candidate is hired in the district)
•Allow participation of CALL survey in school where LWL participant is hired, if hired in the district
Note: Districts are not required to hire the LWL participant in a principalship as we encourage all District partners to follow their customary principal hiring process, with participants in the project applying for positions in the same manner as other candidates.
View the LWL Powerpoint to learn more about this project.
If you want to learn more, please email Dr. Erika Hunt at [email protected]