Tuesday, June 1, 2021
Written by Rachel Fregien
Special Education Consultant for Coaching Supports
We all recognize the value that coaching support provides for educational systems. We also understand that many of the systems in which we provide services are often broken. Systemic inequities exist all around us and can negatively impact our work, our colleagues, communities and ultimately our learners. Coaches have a unique role and are equipped to recognize, respond and work to root out systemic inequities. But, what does that LOOK like in practice? How is that skill operationalized in action?
At the inception of the Coaching Competency Practice Profile, there was an awareness of the role coaches play in holding equity central to their work. This equity mindset was included as a component of the Knowledge Base Development component. After feedback from the field and further research, it was apparent the component didn’t go far enough to describe a coaching equity mindset. In an effort to improve Wisconsin’s definition of coaching, a group of coaches and equity-based educators convened to research and develop a new competency. The competency “Equity Mindset” was developed to describe coaching moves that are teachable, learnable and doable in an educational setting.
During initial conversations of developing this competency there was some concern that breaking an equity mindset out into its own competency would isolate it as a separate thing coaches do, rather than something that is embedded in all coaching actions. Ultimately, the group decided to define some key equity mindsets of coaches as well as revisit the remaining competencies and intentionally embed equity throughout. Thereby infusing an equity mindset throughout the definition of Wisconsin coaching.
The revised document will launch in time for the 2021-2022 school year, so be sure to watch for more news to come later this summer.
Aside from this very important addition, the CCPP as a whole will be getting a face lift. The competencies will be reordered to more closely reflect the hierarchical nature of a coaching interaction. Additionally, a glossary will be added to refine and clarify embedded language. We can’t wait for you to see the finished product. Until then, check out the new “competencies at a glance”. You can begin to get a taste for what the updated version will look like.
