EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY

“Developing the Next Generation of School & District Leaders”

(Administrators’ Academy Credit #3660)

The EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY (“ELA”) invites school administrators to encourage and support teachers, team leaders, counselors, instructional coaches, coordinators, directors, department chairs, deans, and assistant principals who want to train as the next generation of school and district leaders through the innovative ELA Program.  The ACADEMY, which follows the cohort model, is designed to develop the leadership capacity of talented and potential school and district leaders who have a genuine interest and show promise to serve as future administrators.  This pathway will connect theory and practice so aspiring school and district leaders can develop the necessary, critical attributes of school leadership.  The ACADEMY prepares future school and district leaders and supports those presently in leadership positions who wish to continue to learn, grow, develop, and evolve.

 Participants will:

• Have greater clarity about their knowledge and work as aspiring school and district leaders.

• Identify the challenges associated with their future role as school and district leaders.

• Develop new strategies in knowing and understanding themselves, colleagues, current leaders, and school culture and climate.

• Reach out beyond their boundaries and expand their networks as future school and district leaders.

• Develop their own personal leadership mission and vision for success.

• Create action plans for applying the content of the presentations in the development of their work as future leaders.

• Connect with other aspiring school and district leaders in a professional learning community environment.

This year-long, highly engaging, and active learning program will be a serious examination of such topics as instructional and transformational leadership, leadership and communication style assessments, strategic thinking and visioning, school culture and climate, leading change, supervision and evaluation, courageous conversations, decision-making, and systems and time management which will propel the attendees to envision themselves as future school and district leaders.  The ACADEMY is designed to serve and support aspiring school and district leaders in gaining the essential knowledge, skills, and practices to increase their capacity to lead with greater impact and influence as new leaders.

THE PARTICULARS

In-Person Sessions …                               Dates …                                Time …

Medinah Shrine Center                          August 4, 2025                        EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY Sessions

550 North Shriners Drive                       October 6, 2025                      9:00 am – 4:30 pm

Addison, Illinois 60101                           December 1, 2025                  MPC Legal Breakfast Series (optional)

Virtual Sessions …                             February 2, 2026                    7:45 – 9:15 am (See MPC website for dates)

Conducted via ZOOM ONLY                 March 2, 2026

if there are facility, health,                      April 27, 2026

or weather issues.

Registration …

Participants will attend six (6) sessions at a cost of $850 per person (same as last year) and can be paid using ESSA Title IIA funds.  The registration fee includes a complimentary Midwest Principals’ Center membership and an invitation to attend the Legal Breakfast Series at no charge.  Administrators’ Academy Credit can be earned and is facilitated by MPC and DuPage ROE.  For those not interested in earning Administrators’ Academy Credit, you may earn up to 36 hours of PD/CEU credits facilitated by MPC.  Registration for the program is currently open to aspiring school and district leaders.  To register go to www.midwestprincipalscenter.org and you will see the link “MPC Events” on the main page.  Click on the link and you will find the ELA registration page posted along with the other 2025-2026 events.

THE FACILITATOR

Bill Melsheimer is a former public school principal and private school head/superintendent with 37 years of administrative experience in Hinsdale and Wilmette, IL.  During his career, he led award-winning schools that were recognized nationally as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence, by the National Endowment for the Arts, and NASSP’s Council on Middle Level Education.  His schools were also acknowledged regionally by the Chicago and North Shore magazines and the Chicago Sun-Times. Mr. Melsheimer is founder and president of WM Consulting, Inc., that focuses on leadership coaching and development.  He has over 1,500 hours of leadership coaching experience serving and supporting school and district leaders.  His consulting services center on studies of school culture and climate; school, central office, and district reorganization; and middle school review, revision, and refinement.   Bill Melsheimer serves on the Midwest Principals’ Center’s (MPC) Advisory Board and has been a member of the Board since its inception.  Bill has been a regional facilitator for MPC serving as a professional developer of principals. He is also an associate for the administrative consulting firm Hazard, Young, Attea Associates (“HYA”). As a HYA associate, he has facilitated strategic planning for school districts; conducted searches for superintendents, central office administrators, and principals; and serves as an executive coach for school and district leaders. Bill is a former adjunct professor, associate professor, and clinical faculty member of Educational Leadership for Northeastern Illinois University, National Louis University, and the Center for Urban Education Leadership, University of Illinois at Chicago, respectively.