Bridge Fellowship

What?
WestEd, in partnership with Illinois ROE Leadership Hubs, will launch The Bridge Project, a statewide professional learning and systemic improvement initiative aimed at increasing principal workforce diversity through principal pipeline improvements. The project is funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education under the federal Supporting Effective Educator Development (SEED) program. The innovative project provides professional development and executive coaching to 50 current assistant principals and teacher-leaders of color, which includes a post-certification residency in organizational leadership and specialized credentials. 

Why?
The Bridge Project is an important investment in Illinois’ education leadership workforce. Principals of color currently make up less than 23 percent of the principal population, while students of color make up more than 53 percent of the student population in the state. The project occurs at a time when open Illinois public school principal positions are seen as difficult to staff, despite the state’s many certified education administrators.