Fall 24 TLC Teacher Leadership Newsletter

01 October 2024

Greetings Educators! The Teachers Lead Chicago (TLC) team is excited to celebrate the start of the 2024-2025 school year and share the Fall Teacher Leadership Newsletter! In this newsletter, you will find opportunities for teachers to lead and learn, a highlight of one of our New Teacher Mentors, some celebrations from the summer, and resources that provide clarity on TLC roles. We look forward to this rigorous, joyful, and empowering school year!

Opportunities to Lead

Below is a list of upcoming opportunities that allow you to lead within and beyond the classroom. To see more leadership development opportunities, including those with CPS partners, visit Lead with CPS. If you have questions, email teachersleadchicago@cps.edu.

Highlighted Opportunities

DPQ Affinity Group	For the SY24 and SY25 school year, the Department of Principal Quality is hosting affinity groups for African American/Black, Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander, Latina/e/o/x, and LGBTQIA+ aspiring leaders in CPS. The program runs 9/2/2024 -6/27/2025 and you can join at any time throughout the year. If you are interested in joining, please complete this short survey. Future Dates: Latine, Black/AA, AANH PI: 10/17, 11/21, 1/30, 2/27 (all virtual) LGBTQIA+: 10/16, 11/20, 1/29, 2/26 (all virtual) EOY Celebration 4/17 (for all, in-person, location TBD)
CPS Cooperating Teacher	Complete the CPS Pre-Service Teacher Placement Application if you are interested in being a Cooperating Teacher and hosting a pre-service teacher. Beyond opening your classroom to a teacher in training, CPS teachers cultivate dynamic training experiences by regularly providing formal and informal feedback. The application window is ongoing; duration is eight (8) weeks to one school year. Please read the following detailed description of how you can support CPS teacher pathways and contact studentteach@cps.edu with any questions.
Lead with CPS	Most teacher leadership positions have applications or interest forms that open up in the Spring. Keep an eye out for our Winter and Spring newsletters and visit lead.cps.edu.

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Opportunities to Learn

There are also some fantastic opportunities for teachers to continue their education. To help teachers and staff continue learning, CPS has partnered with universities to provide opportunities to earn college and graduate-level degrees, certifications, and endorsements at a significant discount. Explore all the continuing education options to find the right fit for your qualifications, interests, and schedule. Email keeplearning@cps.edu with any questions.

Highlighted Opportunity

Special Education Endorsement

Talent will provide funding for coursework required to earn a Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS1) endorsement or Early Childhood SPED approval. Participants must have an active professional educator license (PEL) to qualify for the program. Candidates who are selected must agree to teach in a SPED position in the school year following the completion of the program. The Special Education Endorsement Application will open on Oct. 14, 2024. If you have any questions, please review the FAQ or email keeplearning@cps.edu.

All CPS Employees have free access to the LinkedIn Learning Platform. Please use the LinkedIn Learning Log-On Job Aid to access the portal. They offer thousands of free video courses taught by industry experts in software, creative, and business skills. They have courses such as "Improving your Leadership Communications", "Coaching Skills for Leaders and Managers", and "How to Be a Good Mentee and Mentor" that can sharpen your skills as a teacher leader.

Celebrations & Highlights

Teacher Leader Highlight

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Trenton Voss at Gage Park High School, New Teacher Mentor

My name is Trenton Voss and I have been with the New Teacher Mentor program for three years. I am proud to support new teachers at Gage Park High School as this partnership helps me remember what my first year teaching was like, and the difference in experiences a teacher can have when a support system is in place as they take on the role of educator for the first time. Being a New Teacher Mentor has made me feel accomplished and validated as a member of our Instructional Leadership Team and also helps me stay connected to our school's continuous improvement plan.

A meaningful experience I have had as a mentor was helping my mentee build their capacity and confidence with new instruction. One of my mentee's goals during our partnership was to begin using the CPS Skyline curriculum in the classroom. Through many weeks of discussions, modeling, and exposure, we were able to achieve the goal that my mentee had set for themself during quarter one of the school year. The coaching experiences I have acquired have made me a better teacher leader inside the building. Being a New Teacher Mentor has also helped me feel like I am a larger part of CPS now that I am reaching outside my comfort zone and my classroom to help inspire New Chicago Public School teachers to achieve their goals of being the very best they can be.

Lead Coach Kickoffs

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The district’s Lead Coaches met in early August at Marshall Metro High School to build community with other Lead Coaches and Distributed and Supportive Leadership Specialists (DSLSs) in the district. They explored how the Pillars of Distributed Leadership and the Teacher Leader Key Success Indicators (KSI’s) foster continuous improvement, discussed the foundations of coaching, and created a blueprint for the first few weeks of the school year.

WGU Elevate Award

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Teachers Lead Chicago’s own Natasha Smith accepted the Western Governors University (WGU) Elevate Award on behalf of Chicago Public Schools on June 21, 2024. This award was presented to CPS for helping create pathways to opportunity and supporting the professional development of others.