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Professional Learning Communities Overview
Led by the city’s top school leaders, our semester-long Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are peer study groups composed of eight to 10 current and aspiring principals. They allow you to build your professional network, gain exposure to new ideas, and learn to implement new solutions in your own school.
Our PLCs include four or five 90-minute sessions in the fall or spring semester. Sessions may be virtual or in person, depending on the PLC. To ensure high-quality engagement, you may only enroll in one PLC per semester, but you may enroll in other PLCs in subsequent terms. As an added bonus, all of our PLCs allow you to earn Illinois Administrator Academy (IAA) credit!
We assess the impact of our PLCs through the 5Essentials, Effective Leaders component as well as principal and assistant principal satisfaction via our annual Principal and Assistant Principal Engagement Surveys.
PLC leaders also gain a lot from facilitating these communities. As a leader, you can enhance your skills through Community of Practice sessions facilitated by Lead by Learning at Northeastern University as well as RespondAbility. These sessions help you focus on your PLC’s vision, monitor its progress, collect data, and reflect at the end of the semester. This support helps you continue developing as a leader and facilitator while ensuring a great experience for your PLC participants. PLC leaders also earn a stipend from The Fund.
Outcomes
- Improved leadership practices that you can implement in your school.
- A stronger professional network to give you ongoing support.
- Free IAA credit as long as you meet all requirements.
Who Should Apply?
Any public school principal or aspiring principal in Chicago who wants to grow as a school leader.
