Empowerment Zone: Coaching Academy Primes Teachers to Become Instructional Leaders

This article describes a program instituted by the Northern Valley Schools (New Jersey, USA) Curriculum Consortium's Coaching Academy. This program was born in mid-2012 with the goal of building a cadre of instructional coaches who could provide increased classroom support for teachers to navigate 21st-century educational demands. Planning began with developing a common vision for a coaching structure that would be a growth model from the already established and embedded practice of coach-educators. New teachers are given the opportunity for embedded coaching, and veteran teachers are embarking on a new level of teacher leadership. Participants engaged in three consecutive days of learning, with the overall goal to build understanding about the why, what, and how of coaching. Teacher Leader Model Standards, were created as guides for experienced teachers to assume leadership roles. To ensure success, coaches need to participate in formal learning as well as informal peer-to peer meetings. Professional development for administrators is also key to effective implementation. Coaching has proven to be a powerful, sustained professional learning experience for everyone involved.