Chicago Public Schools (CPS) proudly announced that 22 employees were celebrated and honored with a virtual ceremony last Friday afternoon as members of the District’s third class to successfully complete the signature Great Expectation Mentoring (GEM) program for equipping and advancing African American and Latinx education leaders for the next stage of their leadership in the District.  CPS launched the mentoring program in May 2018 as part of plans to develop 150 African American and Latinx leaders by 2024 as outlined in the District’s five-year vision. The Office of Equity’s Great Expectations Mentoring Program connects African American and Latinx educational leaders with District leaders to develop leadership skills, gain an understanding and perspective of equity, and work with GEM mentors and other innovators to improve their professional skills and practices. To date, the 83 employees – called “fellows” of the GEM program’s three cohorts – have positively impacted more than 47,000 students through their daily interactions with the students they oversee.  For more information about the GEM program, and the CPS Office of Equity, visit the CPS website at equity.cps.edu. To learn more about teaching in CPS, please visit https://www.teach.cps.edu/.