Professional Learning for Leadership Coaches: Leading Leaders for Equity

• In Event: Transforming Educational Leadership: Righting Wrongs of Race and Difference

Abstract

Purposes: School leadership coaches help school leaders navigate professional spaces, especially when equity issues are involved. And in order to do that well, supporting the leadership coaches, who typically come from a variety of backgrounds, with expertise, and with individual beliefs/conceptual models of leadership, is essential for successful coaching of the school leaders. We examined how leadership coaches experience professional learning spaces designed to support the continual development of their coaching capacity in this study. Ongoing professional learning for leadership coaches, which extends far beyond initial training and orientation, is an essential component of any coaching program intended to focus on issues of social justice and equity. Given that the majority of the coaches in this study identify as white and are serving leaders from a variety of racial-ethnic backgrounds and experiences, we have the need to create spaces for the coaches to learn the skills, practices and dispositions to coach across differences is critical. Coaching conversations can too easily remain at a neutral, surface level, focused on the technical aspects of school leadership. Without the intervention of a coach who has the awareness to recognize issues of equity, the language and content knowledge to engage in the conversation, and the courage to raise these issues, there is great potential for missed opportunities for leader development.

Methods and Data Sources: Utilizing an intrinsic case study design, the researchers engaged in participant observation of 10 professional learning sessions, conducted semi-structured interviews, and collected artifacts created during professional learning sessions.

Findings: This study provides an example of a university-based leadership coach professional learning space designed with the intention of helping coaches deepen their commitment and understanding of equity issues faced by school leaders. Data reveal that coaches experienced both personal and professional development as a result of their engagement in professional learning. Participating in a community of practice helped coaches increase their ability to tackle equity issues in real-time by increasing their ability to notice issues of oppression and providing them with language and courage to respond. Engaging in professional learning impacted the development of coaching skills, dispositions, and reflective practice of experienced leadership coaches.

Scholarly Significance: This study informs research, policy, and practice about leadership preparation programs and PK-12 districts invested in supporting pre-service and novice administrators through leadership coaching. Findings from this study contribute to the relatively limited research available regarding the professional learning of leadership coaches and the supports that are necessary to help coaches engage deeply in issues of equity and social justice. Additional research should be conducted to understand the impact of leadership coaching from the perspective of the coaches and the professional learning needs of white coaches and BIPOC coaches who are supporting coachees from particular entho-racial backgrounds.

Author

• Soraya Sablo Sutton, University of California - Berkeley