Beyond Mentoring:
Sponsorship for Rising Leaders

September 15, 2025

Women Leading Ed (WLE), the nation’s largest nonprofit network dedicated to advancing women in education leadership, today announced the release of Beyond Mentoring: Sponsorship for Rising Leaders, a groundbreaking guide designed to propel more women into the top decision-making roles shaping America’s schools.

“Sponsorship can determine who gets the seat at the table and who doesn’t,” said Dr. Julia Rafal-Baer, CEO of Women Leading Ed. “When leaders use their influence to champion rising talent, the impact is profound: stronger results for students, deeper leadership pipelines, and systems where the best talent can thrive. This guide gives leaders the tools to open doors, elevate proven talent, and ensure we are not leaving our best leaders on the sidelines.”

While women make up the vast majority of the education workforce, they remain underrepresented in the top tiers of leadership. Beyond Mentoring provides actionable strategies and tools for leaders to move beyond traditional mentorship and embrace sponsorship, where senior leaders actively open doors, advocate, and leverage their credibility and networks to accelerate the rise of leadership talent. 

Key features of Beyond Mentoring include:

• For Rising Leaders: Mindset development support, sponsor identification tools, planning guides to secure sponsorship, monthly accountability templates, and strategies to leverage sponsorship for career advancement.

• For Sponsors: Tools to identify high-potential talent, structure impactful sponsor–sponsee relationships, create stretch assignments, and embed sponsorship practices into system pipelines.

• For School Systems and Boards: Policy recommendations, accountability processes, and leadership “depth chart” models to ensure sponsorship becomes a sustainable and scalable practice.

Kyla Johnson-Trammell, WLE Board Chair and Superintendent Emeritus of Oakland Unified School District, emphasized the importance of this work. “As leaders, our greatest responsibility is not only to deliver for students today but to prepare the next generation of leaders to carry the work forward,” Dr. Johnson-Trammell said.  “Sponsorship ensures that women who are ready to lead at the highest levels are recognized, supported, and elevated. This guide gives us a roadmap to do just that.”

The release of Beyond Mentoring: Sponsorship for Rising Leaders underscores Women Leading Ed’s mission to transform education leadership. By equipping women with the tools, skills, and experiences to thrive at the highest levels, WLE is strengthening schools, communities, and the futures of millions of students.