The Fund provides principal and leadership coaching to school leaders throughout Baltimore City. We engage in side-by-side coaching, helping these individuals become stronger instructional leaders of their schools. We also help schools build effective leadership teams, distinguished by a common vision and an ability to work together to create smart, data-directed goals and a culture of collaboration and excellence throughout their schools. Many of the individuals we’ve worked with over the years have become some of the most effective and respected leaders in their schools and across the City. Strategies include:

• Defining clear vision and goals for the schools, and sharing them with the entire school community including students and parents.

• Building an effective, multi-functional leadership team.

• Creating and implementing a data-focused professional development plan with defined levels of ongoing support, assessment and accountability for all members of the school community.

• Engaging in a regular schedule of Learning Walks. The Fund uses learning walks as a critical part of a school’s ongoing accountability system, not as a formal performance review system. It’s a proven method for seeing how well goals are being met and for providing a collaborative feedback loop with the teacher to establish next steps and determine supports needed.

• Sharing research and best practices within and between leadership teams.