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Executive Coaching
Executive Coaching is the heart of my work with schools. I believe deeply in executive coaching because my school has benefited tremendously from it. Quite simply, my coach and the model I use with clients has been transformative for me, which is why I want to share it with other high capacity leaders I respect.
Winning Formula & Growth Goals
I will begin with an onboarding process that will include a collaborative exercise designed to surface the client’s strengths. As a culminating activity we will name the client’s Winning Formula which will be a guidepost which we will return to in order to tackle challenges and goals throughout the year.
Once we’ve identified and stamped the client’s Winning Formula, we will then identify 3 specific Growth Goals that will accelerate the client’s effectiveness as a leader and lead to tangible outcomes such as increased student outcomes and improved staff morale. Below I’ve provided an example of three Growth Goals:
- I will translate ideas into strategic, actionable plans that I monitor throughout the year and hold others accountable to;
- I will lean into difficult conversations by:
- Having them vs. avoiding
- Setting a clear purpose;
- Communicating candidly.
- I manage my work efficiently through the development and execution of daily, weekly, monthly, priority plans and organizational systems.
Each week I will ensure that the client has clear actionable steps tied toward these goals and that he/she is making progress on those action steps. Additionally, we will engage in live practice when necessary. For example, if the client has a difficult conversation on the horizon with a teacher we will practice that conversation and lock in the most important focus areas to yield success.
In addition to the Growth Goals focus, I will allow time each week for tactical/urgent problem solving and challenges that arise as a result of the day to day work of running the school. I will provide guided coaching and help leaders solve their own challenges. Ultimately the client will drive how we spend the time but I will ensure that we stay focused and accountable to the Growth Goals we’ve committed to together.
We will review our Winning Formula and Growth Goals at the mid-year to evaluate our progress and make adjustments as needed based on the effectiveness of our first semester of work together.
During each phone session I will take detailed notes while the leader talks and then follow-up the session with an email of the notes from the call and identified action steps for the coming week. Leaders do not need to worry about taking notes because I will provide that for them.
Why Executive Coaching?
The success of a charter school rises and falls on the senior executive leader. Charter schools spend extensive amounts of time and money training, coaching, and supporting teachers, and virtually NO time, and very little money, developing their directors.
It’s not surprising that most charter school directors only stay in the role for 3 years or less. The job is demanding, stressful, complex, and there is no blueprint for how to do it. Furthermore, charter directors, more than traditional school principals, lead very isolated existences without someone to support them proactively. There is no central office, no structured principal community to learn from, and no regular visits from area superintendents. Charter leaders generally default to just calling other directors to help them put out fires or handle changing situations. Other than that, they’re on their own. The board can be helpful at times but they are volunteers and should remain in a school governance role rather than school management.
Charter boards assume that most of their directors either have the capacity to develop themselves or will proactively identify professional development to further their growth as needed. Charter directors, also tasked with managing the budget, are loath to spend money on their own development, despite the fact they are the single most significant lever for school change. Some schools will fund leaders pursuing doctoral degrees or attending some training, but most EdD classwork is disconnected from the reality of running a charter school. Similarly, most professional development currently offered in the sector is poorly designed, scattershot, and relies on the participant’s goodwill and resolute self-management to ensure follow-on execution.
Executive coaching provides the highly personalized, proactive and ongoing support that is sorely needed for a charter school director. I’ve worked with hundreds of leaders in my career in education and had the opportunity to interact with most of the charter school directors in the state through my work on the Charter School Advisory Board for the last 8 years. All the data supports what I’ve observed: a charter school’s success will depend on the effectiveness of the leader. I believe, therefore, the best investment a board can make is in its leader’s ongoing growth.
If a school is already succeeding at its goals, then I would argue that’s a result of good leadership. If a board wants the school to remain successful it will invest in the leader’s growth so he/she will remain in the school and it will continue to thrive. Good leaders who aren’t being coached or developed get tired of doing it all themselves and leave.
A Note About Cost
On-Campus Visit Day
If applicable, on-campus visit days will be 100% focused on the growth of the leader in the context of his or her priorities. We will correspond in advance to prepare a focus point and objective for the site visit. I will work with the leader to organize the schedule and ensure my time there focuses on the highest leverage areas. I will take detailed notes throughout the day and then meet with the leader to debrief and stamp action steps from the visit.
Examples of focus areas for a on-campus visit day:
- Teacher Observation – I will conduct co-observations with the leader to help focus his/her coaching lens and improve teacher quality.
- Time Management – I will spend the entire day observing the leader’s practices in addition to auditing all personal time management systems and procedures. We will then debrief and I will work with the leader to develop personalized time management and organizational systems that will increase their effectiveness.
- General Management Practices – I will observe the leader conduct meetings with staff members, teachers, and secondary leaders and provide feedback on effective planning and facilitation. We will develop personalized action steps and systems to improve effectiveness.
- Professional Development – I will observe the leader conduct professional development and provide feedback on how to improve its delivery and effectiveness. We can debrief and spend time planning together if necessary.
- General Leadership Coaching – I will work with the leader on their planning for significant changes at the school. We will spend time together in person mapping out the timeline, systems, and action steps to manage structural change at the school such as adopting new curriculum, leading through growth phases, facility expansion, or managing staffing changes.
- Data Analysis and Planning – I will work with the leader to analyze data and design targeted action steps to drive school improvement.
- Hiring Processes – I will work with the leader to evaluate their hiring practices and develop improvement systems and structures.
Board Training
I’ve been a member of the Charter School Advisory Board for 8 years, serving my first three years as Vice-Chair and my last five years as Chair. In this capacity, I’ve been deeply involved in every possible aspect of charter school governance, finances, and operations. I’ve interviewed hundreds of charter school boards and provided training on behalf of the state’s Office of Charter Schools. In my role as CSAB Chair I’ve had the opportunity to present to the State Board of Education more than 30 times. This experience has given me unique insight into effective charter school board management practices and I’m able to design custom training and support for charter boards.