Frequently Asked Questions: Coach Edition

Who do I contact if need help?

If you are in need of help for logistics, compensation, etc. please contact Michelle Liebhardt via email or use her check in link to schedule time with her.

If you have questions about the Portico site, content, etc. please contact Ling Deng via email or use her check in link to schedule time with her.

If you have questions about coaching, need a thought partner, etc. please contact either Joann Hulquist via email or use her check in link to schedule time with her or Jocelyn Bigay email or use her check in link to schedule time with her.

When will I get my school leader assignment(s)?

This will happen on a rolling basis. Our sales and development team is hard at work securing commitments and renewals from schools and districts, but we are still in the process of getting contracts and grouping school leaders into cohorts. Some coaches may get connected with their assigned principals as early as the beginning of August, while others may not receive theirs until early September and beyond. Rest assured that as soon as we have that information we will share it with you and we thank you for your patience and there is a lot of behind-the-scenes work it takes to get there!

What should I do if I am having trouble connecting with or have a conflict of interest with a school leader I am assigned?

Should these issues arise please contact Michelle Liebhardt via email or use her check in link to schedule time with her.

How do I get in contact with my school leader(s)?

You will be cc’d in an introductory email with your school leaders and can obtain their email from that email chain. Additionally, each coach will have their own coaching assignments google doc, which will list out each school leader’s relevant information like email address, phone number, district, school site, etc. You can refer to that document to find each school leader’s contact info. This will be updated when new school leaders are assigned to you.

How do I schedule Copilot meetings with my school leader(s)?

There are several ways you may schedule your Copilot meetings with your leader(s). We recommend that you schedule the entire year out so you don’t need to remember to schedule on a monthly basis and can reschedule the meeting if needed.

We recommend is a google appointment link where leaders can click on the link to find a time that works for the both of you. If you need help setting this up please contact Ling Deng via email or use her check in link to schedule time with her.

You may also meet with your school leader(s) and find a time that works both with your schedule(s) and schedule it out.

Note: to ensure that your Copilot meetings are properly synced from your calendar, the word Copilot (not Co Pilot or Co-pilot) must be included in the meeting title and the school leader must be included as a guest on the meeting invitation.

How often should I be meeting and checking in with my school leader(s)?

We ask that you have at minimum, one hour virtual meeting and two additional touch points (text, phone call, or email) each month. However, we understand that you each have your own coaching style and preferences. If you would like meet more frequently, meet in person, or check in more often, we support your choice.

How do I set agendas and documents notes for my Copilot meetings with assigned school leader(s)?

Copilots must be documented in your group with agendas and meeting notes for each month of attendance on the Portico site with each school leader(s) you are assigned.

See examples

Where do I find resources to support the efforts of the school leaders I am coaching?

Toolkit is full of resources to support school leaders. Once on the Toolkit page use the search filter to narrow down and find the resource most aligned with your needs. The Navigation Tool page provides resources from Toolkit and Crowdsource aligned to each step of the Inflexion Approach.

How do I track my time?

Copilot meetings must be documented on your Inflexion calendar and in your Copilot meeting notes with school leaders you coach. Each month you will be asked confirm your work assignments by email, and you must make note of any discrepancies before the end of the pay period on the 25th of each month. You can review your timesheet in Quickbooks at any time, but you are not required to log time in Quickbooks this year because your hours will be logged from your calendar at the end of the pay period.

How do I record school leader progress throughout the year?

You will be asked to set goals with each school leader you coach and update progress towards those goals midway through the year and at the end of the year.

How are coaches and school leaders assigned to Counterpart groups?

Coaches are asked to co-facilitate Counterpart groups based on their expertise and interest. School leaders self-select a Counterpart group based on their needs and schedule. Counterpart meetings are supported by two coaches and two Inflexion staff and can have up to 20 school leaders in each group. This year there are 5 Counterpart groups for school leaders to choose from that will meet ~monthly throughout the school year.

How do I connect with other coaches who may be coaching school leaders in the same district as one of my assigned leaders, or leading a Counterpart that one of my assigned leaders is part of?

You will meet coaches each month during calibration, but you can email them anytime to check in and feel free to communicate and coordinate as needed. If you need help, check in with Ling & Michelle.

How can I find out which Counterpart group the leader(s) I am coaching are part of?

This year all Counterpart agendas will be in the same google doc. There you will find information like which school leaders are registered for the Counterpart and the month they registered. This document will also contain the agendas, additional resources, and attendance. You may also ask your leader(s) which Counterpart they have registered for. If they have not registered for one, please encourage them to do so by following this link.

What is Crowdsource and how do I know when it is happening?

Crowdsource is intended to be a time and place for school leaders in the Portico community to discuss just in time topics. Those in attendance may meet coaches, internal Inflexion staff, and others outside the Portico community the may have never met before to share resources and discussion around a particular topic. This year there will be four Crowdsources aligned to each of the Four Pillars of Community School. You will be invited Crowdsource events as will all school leaders in the community.

How can I find out which of my school leader(s) attended a Crowdsource?

Within a week after each Crowdsource, Ling will email the coaches that had an assigned school leader(s) who attended the Crowdsource. If you did not receive an email that means you did not have a school leader attend that Crowdsource.

I know a school leader who would like to be coached. How do I get them started?

If there is a school leader who is not currently being coached and is interested in receiving coaching, they can reach out to Elise Kuykendall, Director of Partnerships, to schedule a meeting. We recommend that you, the school leader, and Elise all attend the meeting together to ensure a smooth handoff.

Additionally, if individual coaching is not an available, there may be an option to just join Counterparts. In this case please contact Michelle Liebhardt via email or use her check in link to schedule time with her to discuss.

What is the Inflexion Approach?

Inflexion’s framework is grounded in organizational change theory, ongoing research, and practical results. The Inflexion Approach recognizes the critical role identity plays in developing schools and systems that serve each and every student students well. Includes four elements: Identity, Structures, Learning, and Readiness for All.

How is progress on school improvement tracked?

We help schools track traditional, lagging indicators like reading/writing/math at the individual level, course completion, discipline rates, enrollment in AP or IB programs, graduation rates, and the like. But we also measure progress during the course of the school year through systemic responsibility markers. These are the elements that underlie traditional school metrics: students’ ability to self manage, relevance of classwork, adult connections, and student self-awareness, for example. These are important behavioral science metrics that lead to genuine increases in learning. When students feel a sense of belonging, they feel connected. When they feel connected, they feel engaged, and when they are engaged learning happens.

Accountability and measurement is part of our work with every partner. Schools we work with improve across demographic and socioeconomic group on student college and career readiness, suspension rates, and other metrics.

What are the Five Shifts?

Portico believes that in order for school leaders to thrive, they need to make five critical shifts: 1) Uproot, Rethink, & Rebuild; 2) Find their people; 3) Get busy on the right stuff; 4) Move from “Me” to “We”; 5) Invest in Coaching. Click here to watch a video to learn more about the Five Shifts and the “why” behind them.

What is the leadership development philosophy followed by Portico?

We believe effective leader learning is comprised of equal parts discovery, discussion, and doing. Portico offers discovery through our Blueprint modules and Crowdsource, a webinar series featuring leading school changemakers. Portico also includes two discussion platforms: Copilot 1:1 coaching, and Counterpart, a networked learning community that connects school leaders in small cohorts to exchange ideas. Action, the doing, is supported through coaching and a library of off-the-shelf resources in Toolkit.

When will I see school improvement through the Portico/Inflexion change model?

Progress starts day one, but we encourage school leaders to commit to at least a three-year process for the transformation of the student experience to take root. Our model of school improvement is built around supporting principals. We offer them a platform for learning best practices in organizational change management and help them make continual improvement second nature. Positive school change—making learning more relevant to all learners, improving students’ college and career readiness, and creating greater equity—does not happen overnight. Our clients often find the results they get through Portico compelling enough that they extend beyond year three to keep making progress.

How does Portico/Inflexion help schools manage through principal turnover?

Portico couples leader learning with organizational capacity building. When a school community shares a vision of student readiness and school identity, a school system can more easily keep momentum even during changes in leadership. There are many leaders aligned on what the school stands for. Incoming principals and teachers can get up to speed in a hurry, and catch up with where a school is.

Table of Contents

General Questions

Copilots

Counterpart

Crowdsource

Inflexion Philosophy