How the Instructional Leadership Team at Sadlowski Elementary School is a Key Part of Its Success

Our schools have many ways to spur academic achievement, but one of the most meaningful is their instructional leadership teams (ILTs). Each school has an ILT made up of some of its staff members, who work together to determine impactful strategies to help students reach their full potential. 

One school with an exemplary ILT is Sadlowski Elementary School on the Southeast Side. Its ILT spans every grade level and also includes its administration, lead coach, counselor, MTSS interventionist, and English language program teacher. Everyone brings their own unique perspective and expertise to help the entire group learn and grow. 

The success of Sadlowski’s ILT starts with its culture. Its members have built a strong community that leads them to look forward to coming to meetings and sharing their ideas and goals with each other. We touched base with two members of the ILT: Ms. Stephanie Townsend, the school’s instructional coach, and Ms. Rosa Jimenez-Hernandez, one of its fifth-grade teachers, to learn more about what serving on the ILT has meant to them. Read more about their experiences below. 

Sadlowski’s ILT is made up of: 

Instructional/Lead Coach/ILT Lead: Stephanie Townsend
Kinder Lead: Anna Castro
1st Grade Lead : Gabriella Jacques
2nd Grade Lead: Laura Sanchez
3rd Grade Lead: Nick Pieterse
4th Grade Lead: Jacqueline Perez
5th-8th Gen. Ed.Lead: Rosa Jimenez- Hernandez
6th-8th Bilingual Lead: Blake Macdonald
Exploratory Lead: Rene Gabriel
MTSS Lead: Blanca Gomez/Emily Gasca
Interventionist Lead: Jeanette Lopez
Case Manager: Jennifer Runge
SEL Lead: Marlen Jimenez
ELPT Lead: Victoria Sanchez
ILT Admin Leads: Principal - Rafael Jimenez, Resident Principal - Jacques Edwards

What is your approach to ILT meetings? 

At Sadlowski, our ILT has established a clear vision and mission that drives our efforts to enhance and support teaching and learning. In collaboration, the team utilizes school-wide trends, student data, and staff survey feedback to strategically select a focus for our schoolwide learning series. Our Lead Coach, Ms. Townsend, oversees and facilitates the biweekly ILT meetings, where the team develops a targeted five week learning series. These series are subsequently delivered at weekly GLT meetings by the teacher leaders from each grade band.

Left to right: Stephanie Townsend and Rosa Jimenez-Hernandez 

What are some accomplishments of the ILT so far? 

So far, the ILT has completed a learning series focused on small group instruction and MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports). The team used teacher survey feedback to plan the series, ensuring it provided the necessary support for staff. This has helped teachers improve their skills in meeting the diverse needs of students through more targeted and effective instruction. Our current learning series focuses on incorporating writing into all content areas throughout K-8th grade while exposing students to a variety of grade level aligned task types. 

What are some of your goals for the rest of the 2024-25 school year? 

For the rest of the 2024-25 school year, the goal of the lead coach is to support collaborative teams led by Teacher Leaders through connected coaching. These leaders will guide their grade band teams in using data to set goals, improve teaching practices, and track progress through learning series. Teacher Leaders will ensure teams have time to meet regularly and engage in these series, helping teachers take ownership of their learning. With their expertise and knowledge of students, Teacher Leaders will support effective and responsive teaching.

Since you’ve developed such a great culture with your ILT, what advice would you give to other schools in this area? 

Our advice to other schools would be to prioritize building community from the start by creating intentional team-building opportunities. It's important to foster an environment where everyone feels connected and valued. 

A positive culture flourishes when members focus on their own growth as well. Our Lead Coach aims to empower Teacher Leaders by supporting their development, so they are equipped to effectively support their teams. It's essential for leaders to be well-supported and nurtured in order to be able to do the same for their teams.

What is your message to your students? 

Our students are the driving force behind all the efforts taking place both inside and outside the classroom. By setting our goals and working collaboratively, we are confident that we can achieve great things.