EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY – 2024-2025

Developing the Next Generation of School and District Leaders

Administrators‘ Academy (#3660) credit can be earned through MPC and the DuPage ROE-OR- participants can earn up to 36 hours of PD credit.

The EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY (ELA) invites school administrators to recommend teachers, team leaders, counselors, instructional coaches, coordinators, facilitators, department chairs, and deans who want to train as the next generation of school and district leaders to register as participants in the innovative ELA Program. The program 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 leaders can develop the necessary, critical attributes of school leadership. The program prepares future school and district leaders and supports those presently in leadership positions who wish to continue to learn, grow, and develop. The ACADEMY is designed to support aspiring school and district leaders in acquiring the essential knowledge, skills, and practices needed to advance to the next level of leadership. 

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, their colleagues, current leaders, and school culture. 
• Reach out beyond their boundaries as future school and district leaders. 
• Develop their own personal leadership mission and vision for success. 
• Create an action plan 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 leaders. The ACADEMY is designed to serve and support aspiring school and district leaders in acquiring the essential knowledge, skills, and practices to increase their capacity to lead with greater impact and influence as new school leaders. 

Location: In–person sessions will be conducted at the: Medinah Shrine Center 

550 North Shriners Drive Addison, IL 60101 

Virtual sessions will be conducted via ZOOM only if there are facility, health, safety, or weather issues. 

Dates:

Session I – Monday, August 5, 2024

Session II – Monday, October 7, 2024

Session III – Monday, December 2, 2024

Session IV – Monday, February 3, 2025

Session V – Monday, March 3, 2025

Session VI – Monday, May 12, 2025

Time:  9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. 

Registration Fee: Participants will attend six (6) sessions at a cost of $850 per person and can be paid using ESSA Title IIA funds. Administrators‘ Academy (#3660) credit can be earned through MPC and the DuPage ROE–OR– participants can earn up to 36 hours of PD credit. Your registration fee will also include a complimentary Midwest Principals‘ Center (MPC) membership and an invitation to attend the Legal Breakfast Series at no charge. 

Those interested in registering for the ELA program will be able to do so later this spring. At that time, MPC‘s Program Guide will be available online (midwestprincipalscenter.org) to register for this program and all other 2024–2025 MPC events. 

FOR A COMPLETE AND COMPREHENSIVE REPORT OF THE 2023-2024 EMERGING LEADERS ACADEMY WORKSHOPS, FACILITATORS, AND PARTICIPANTS, PLEASE CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW.

ELA Yr-End Report 2023-2024 (1)

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 holds the designation of Professional Coach (PC) as a result of his training, professional development, and over 1,000 hours of leadership coaching experience serving and supporting school and district leaders.  His consulting services center on studies of school climate and culture; 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.