For Mentors

Specific responsibilities include:

  • Receiving staffing updates from the principal and/or the Curriculum Alignment Liaison
  • Ensuring that professional development is taking place
  • Ensuring that teaching assistants are being used effectively
  • Supporting the PRT, PIL, and SCR in providing a comprehensive parent program that serves the needs of the families of the district

Typical mentor tasks:

  • Scheduling an initial introduction meeting with program and relative staff at the beginning of the school year
  • Supporting and collecting documents and completing written reports
  • ​One on one orientation for new staff joining during the middle of the school year.
  • Developing a rapport with CPC program and school staff
  • Monitoring personnel change three times per year
  • Visiting assigned schools (weekly site visits, check-ins)
  • Attending grade level meetings
  • Visiting parent room
  • Reviewing and providing feedback on Parent Involvement Plans and Parent Activity Calendars
  • Observing classrooms of schools other than those assigned during fall term
  • Observing classroom interactions (teacher instruction, student engagement, activities, participation e.g. classroom activity learning activities)
  • Documentation of program information gathered
  • Maintaining on-going communication with school-related staff in-person, electronically, or over the phone
  • Providing staff with resources written materials as needed or requested (forms, handouts, manual, program history, etc.)
  • Attend monthly meetings (CPS/CPC, mentor)
  • Providing technical assistance ( ETO, google drive access) to school staff
  • Periodically monitoring ETO system (checking updates of parent involvement, CARs, etc.)

    • Qualifications to be a mentor:

    • Knowledge of early childhood education
    • Knowledge of the CPC program, prior leadership experience in a CPC or similar reform model
    • Bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or elementary education is preferred
    • Excellent oral and written communication skills
    • Flexible and able to adapt to change
    • Positive outlook; energetic
    • Sensitivity to cultural differences
    • ​Ability to lead others in change of practices
    • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with staff
    • Experience with interacting and working with parents, school administrators, and school personnel
    • Comfortable with observing, documenting reporting, participating in group discussions, and presentations (one on one and in a group)
    • Familiar with school daily operations (schedules, classroom climates, building structures)
    • Computer knowledge

    Mentor policy & procedure:

    How much time do I spend in schools?
    On average, we recommend visiting your schools once per month. Typically, your communication with each school will be a mixture of phone calls, emails, and in-person visits. The duration of your visits will vary depending on the goal of your visit. For example, if you plan to support a PRT with an activity, you might be at a school for an hour. Or perhaps you are visiting your site to sit in on a grade level meeting or a collaborative leadership team meeting, which may take longer. Thus, the length of your visits will vary.

    Do I need to keep track of my own time?
    Yes. HR will inform you about how to track your time.

    How can I secure work space in schools?
    Talk with your school’s Head Teacher, AP, or Principal to secure work space in your school.

    Is there a dress code?
    Mentors are expected to dress business casual when in schools.

    Who’s Who

    Gwen Graham
    gwgraham@umn.edu
    I have a Master of Arts in Education in teacher leadership and am a National Board Certified Teacher. I have served as HT and PRT at Wheatley Child-Parent Center in Chicago.
    Mentor at new CPC expansion sites: Twin Cities, Rochester, MN, and Madison, WI

    Desiree Booker
    eona7212@yahoo.com
    I am an early childhood teacher and spent my career teaching Pre-K through 3rd grade. One of my most gratifying experiences was working as a PRT and an HT at the Beasley Child-Parent Center.
    Mentor at CPS schools

    Sonja Griffin
    sonjagriffini3grant@gmail.com
    I have master’s degrees in early childhood education and in educational supervision and administration. I have held numerous roles in CPC programs, including PRT, HT, CPC program facilitator, and CPC program manager, where I served until retirement from CPS in 2012.
    Mentor in: Chicago, Evanston, and Normal, IL

    Alta Flowers
    annielotts@yahoo.com
    I’ve worked in early childhood education for 30 years. In CPS, I’ve been an administrator, director of a citywide parent program (PATF), early childhood coach, PreK classroom teacher, and a CPC PRT and CRT.
    Mentor at: Beasley, Carver/Wheatley, Melody, Peck

    Anita President
    anita_president@yahoo.com
    I have a doctorate in education. I started my teaching career as a student teacher at Sojourner Truth CPC and taught kindergarten and first grade there as part of the CPC Expansion. I’ve also served as HT and PRT at Sojourner Truth, Woodson-South, and Ferguson-Manierre.
    Mentor at CPS schools: Courtenay, Fiske, Wadsworth
    Mentor in Evanston: Dawes, Oakton, Walker, Washington

    Arthur Reynolds
    ajr@umn.edu
    Co-director

    Suh-Ruu Ou
    sou@umn.edu
    Research Associate