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.

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)         Each approved entity shall establish a process for identifying and selecting mentors.  As part of this process, each mentor applicant shall submit at least two professional references that address:

1)         the nature of the working relationship between the letter-writer and the principal in question,

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

3)         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 the individual's 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.

(Source:  Amended at 46 Ill. Reg. 13192, effective July 13, 2022)