Ladders of Opportunity
From parent mentor to paraprofessional — and beyond!
Ladders of Opportunity recognizes and rewards the lived experience of Parent Mentors while meeting Illinois schools’ need for an experienced, culturally competent workforce.
Illinois has more than 2,400 unfilled paraprofessional positions statewide. Schools need qualified support staff, and Parent Mentors already have the classroom experience, community trust, and relationships that make great school employees.
Our Ladders of Opportunity navigators have helped nearly 900 parent mentors earned Illinois State Board of Education credentials, such as Special Education Endorsements and Bilingual/English as a Second Language since the 2022-23 school year. Many now work in classrooms, while some go on to further study and will move on to become teachers, administrators and other school leaders.
Ladders connects parents to paid work in education
After spending 100+ hours working alongside teachers, many Parent Mentors want to keep going. Ladders of Opportunity makes that possible. Through Ladders:
Parent Mentors get the support they need to earn an Illinois state educator license (ISBE credential) and find jobs in schools—
Schools and school districts fill essential roles for paraprofessionals, special education classroom assistants, substitutes, and more with candidates who reflect the make up of their school community and already have classroom experience
Interested in learning more about how Ladders works? Find out more on our Stories and Data page.
Are you a Parent Mentor interested in learning more about Ladders of Opportunity? Find out more about how to advance your education career on our Join page.