Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps, Serena Williams — even the greatest need a coach. Athletes know this, but in his 2017 TED Talk, renowned surgeon Atul Gawande said many professionals take the pedagogical approach that they are capable of managing their own improvement through study and practice. However, Gawande reflects that he would have never improved as a surgeon without someone observing and critiquing his work. ACSA offers a way for educational leaders to keep improving through its Leadership Coaching program, which trains participants to be effective coaches to school administrators.  “Leadership is a continuous process of growth. At no time is anyone ‘fully developed’ as a leader,” said George Manthey, a local program coordinator for the ACSA Silicon Valley Leadership Coaching program. “Having a coach is important throughout one’s career — not just at the beginning or the first year in a new position.” While ACSA’s Leadership Coaching program is designed to train coaches for new administrators seeking their Clear Administrative Services Credential, many districts have seen value in having trained coaches on staff or on contract to facilitate the ongoing development of leaders. The Pomona Unified School District has used administrative coaches for years with great success, said Stephanie Baker, who retired in August as Deputy Superintendent, Educational Services. “One of the things I love about coaching is the transparency coupled with the confidentiality,” she said.  Baker explained that school leaders need someone they can be completely open with, who will not share what they discuss. That person shouldn’t be their supervisor, who they may not feel comfortable coming to with problems, and that person shouldn’t be their subordinate, who may just go along with whatever their boss says.  “Sometimes you need to talk to someone who’s a job alike,” Baker said. “There’s another perspective coaches have — when you’re only listening to yourself or your subordinates, it may not be the best idea.” Although she now does the coaching for credential candidates, Baker was once the one receiving coaching when she started at Pomona USD. “Having a coach provided a safe place for me to validate some of my ideas, to problem solve, to vent — sometimes it was a therapy session,” she said. Baker said coaches — like therapists — don’t give the answer, but prompt those being coached to think of their own response. This is one of the hallmarks of the evocative coaching model outlined in the book “Evoking Greatness,” which serves as the framework for ACSA’s Leadership Coaching program. Educational leaders are never done improving. Baker pointed out that a leader who has ample experience at one school may change jobs to a school with a different culture or be given a new responsibility, such as managing a multi-million dollar school improvement grant. Or, a leader may go from a school site, where they were excellent at engaging parents, to the district level, where they now need to engage a board. A coach can help these leaders evolve to meet new challenges, Baker said. Coaching can be expensive, but it should be viewed as part of the professional development responsibility of a district. Baker said her district wrote grants that included funding to cover coaching, but districts may also be able to use Title II and LCFF funds. Baker suggested even three to four hours of coaching a month can benefit school leaders. One reason why Baker is such a proponent of professional learning is because it saved her life. When battling cancer 20 years ago, Baker’s doctor was part of a “tumor board” where colleagues shared case studies and data. That’s where Baker’s doctor learned of an unpublished study about a new chemo therapy that could benefit patients like her.  Baker said that those at the top of any field need a space to be transparent, solve problems and hear other viewpoints.  “Many of our great leaders can remain great if they have the opportunity to engage with a thought partner, and that’s what coaching does,” she said.

What: Two-day workshop to build the skills and knowledge of educational leadership coaches

When: July 24-25 (Sacramento), Aug. 5-6 (LACOE) Cost: $650 Register and more info: Interested in getting a coach for your district or hosting

a coaching training? Visit for information.