Pay it forward with ACSA Leadership Coaching

Looking to pay it forward to the next generation of California’s educational leaders?  Experienced school and district leaders have an incredible opportunity to share their knowledge and skills through service as an ACSA Leadership Coach. They can learn these coaching skills through ACSA Leadership Coaching, which trains them in a research-based coaching model that emphasizes the importance of building and maintaining trust, the value of being a good listener, and the use of questioning strategies to promote reflection and growth in educational leaders. This training, which will be held online in October, is the first step to becoming an ACSA Leadership Coach. It’s never been more important for education leaders to have a good coach, according George Manthey, a co-facilitator of ACSA Leadership Coaching. “During this time of distance learning and COVID-19, some may think they can’t be a coach because they never implemented such a program,” Manthey said. “But this is a time, more than ever, when new leaders need a trusted ‘guide by their side,’ who is supporting them as they build relationships with all stakeholders and build a culture of mutual respect with a focus on student learning.” Many school administrators have found being an induction coach for new administrators offers many rewards, both for the candidate and their own personal growth. “I have experienced more personal growth serving as a coach than I have had in nearly any other professional learning experience,” Manthey said. “I have been retired from full-time work since 2013, but through coaching I stay current with the challenges of leading a school today.” What is ACSA Leadership Coaching? ACSA Leadership Coaching is a series of workshops designed to teach experienced school and district leaders how to provide job-embedded coaching to school administrators. Who is it for? While ACSA Leadership Coaching is required for anyone who is coaching candidates in the ACSA Clear Administrative Credential Program, the program is also beneficial to anyone who is responsible for the development of education leaders, including:

• Coaches of beginning and experienced school administrators.
• Coaches serving in school leadership training programs and Administrative Services Credential programs.
• Instructors in educational administration pre-service programs.
• District leaders responsible for improving the capacity of site leaders.
• Individuals responsible for the design and implementation of professional development programs for district, school, and teacher leaders.
• Coaches of teacher leaders.

What is the Evocative Coaching model? This coaching methodology is based on Megan and Bob Tschannen-Moran’s book “Evoking Greatness: Coaching to Bring Out the Best in Educational Leaders” (2016). This researched-based model focuses on coaching skills and moves to LEAD — Listen, Empathize, Appreciate, and Design — and support the candidate’s growth as a leader and attainment of leadership outcomes. Through Appreciative Inquiry questioning, the coach helps candidates recognize strengths and possibilities that exist to envision an ideal future to develop goals and action steps. This approach builds the candidate’s capacity as a leader by modeling inquiry for problem solving that extends beyond their current administrative position. Is this just mentoring? Leadership coaching differs from mentoring. Mentoring is an informal relationship where a mentor provides nonjudgmental listening when asked on topics that are selected by the administrator being mentored. In contrast, leadership coaching focuses on professional development and capacity building by guiding the candidate through activities and conversations that invite rethinking and application of leadership strategies and dispositions for the most successful impact. What makes this approach unique? It’s about shifting the focus of a problem-solving, “fix it,” mentality to one of identifying strengths, exploring possibilities and designing a new way of being and doing. ACSA’s program helps any leader use a structure for coaching that is “strength-based, person centered, and no-fault,” Manthey said.