Section 35.40   Eligibility of Mentors

Pursuant to Section 2-3.53a of the School Code, eligibility for service as mentors under this Part shall be limited to individuals who have served as principals in Illinois for at least three years, who have demonstrated success as instructional leaders, and who have completed the training required pursuant to Section 35.50 of this Part.

a)         For purposes of this Part, "at least three years" means no fewer than three full school years, provided that a principal need not have accrued all three years' service in the same school or district.

b)         For purposes of this Part, an experienced principal shall be considered to have demonstrated success as an instructional leader if he or she holds an Illinois administrative certificate and submits to the State Superintendent of Education or designee three letters of professional reference in accordance with this subsection (b).

1)         Each principal shall submit one letter from a certified staff member who is not an administrator and has served for at least one full school year under the principal's supervision.

2)         Each principal shall submit one letter from another principal who has knowledge of the individual's work.

3)         Each principal shall submit one letter from a district superintendent or assistant superintendent under whose supervision the principal has served for at least one full school year, or from a regional superintendent who has knowledge of the principal's work.

4)         Each required letter of reference shall include:

A)        the nature of the working relationship between the letter-writer and the principal in question;

B)        the letter-writer's reasons for believing that the principal in question is of ethical character and possesses strong interpersonal skills; and

C)        one or more specific examples of the principal's accomplishments related to particular aspects of the Illinois Professional School Leader Standards set forth at 23 Ill. Adm. Code 29.100.

c)         No individual shall serve as a mentor if more than five years have elapsed since his or her last date of service as a principal in an Illinois school or service in some other educational capacity that routinely requires interaction with principals and familiarity with the issues and challenges they face.  Evidence of the latter type of service shall be a contract, job description, or other document generated by the employing entity.