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District 57 launches ESP mentor program and moves to a rubric‑based evaluation tool
Summary
HR Director Karen Schwartzwell told the board the district implemented a new ESP mentor program (one mentor per building) focused on instructional assistants and is working to create a rubric and differentiated evaluation tools; 16 new instructional assistants were hired this year.
District 57’s human resources office reported on a newly implemented educational support personnel (ESP) mentor program and ongoing work to modernize the ESP evaluation tool.
HR Director Karen Schwartzwell said the mentor program went into effect under the contract that began July 1, 2024. Per the contract, the district provided four ESP mentors (one per building) and concentrated first‑year efforts on instructional assistants — the largest and highest‑turnover ESP group. Schwartzwell reported 16 new instructional assistants this year (seven hired at the start of the school year and nine hired during the year) and said stipends were provided; in some cases stipends were split between two mentors who shared responsibilities.
On evaluations, Schwartzwell said the district currently evaluates ESP biannually and has been convening a diverse staff group (including Kids Corner, custodial, clerical and building technology staff) to design a rubric. The rubric is intended to clarify what ‘‘proficient’’ or ‘‘excellent’’ performance looks like and to include differentiated job‑specific elements without creating an unwieldy set of tools for every job classification. She said the team is collecting feedback and expects to finalize the rubric in the coming weeks.
Board members asked for follow‑up about collected feedback and timing; Schwartzwell said she expected to report results (feedback summary and any suggested adjustments) to the board in early fall.
What happens next: HR will continue feedback loops, finalize a rubric for ESP evaluations, and present results to the board in upcoming meetings.
