Coach Eddie is in Inglewood, CA when he catches up with two of his favorite people. Karen Johnson and Sal Herrera are school improvement gurus who take no prisoners and don’t believe in excuses when it comes to accountability.

Over dinner, Coach Eddie, Sal, Karen, and Coco are reflecting on their experiences at various schools and have a deep conversation on the topic of “good bones” needed for school improvement. The conversation takes shape based on two questions:

1. When you are working at a school, what is one early sign that the school is going to be able to move forward and gain momentum?
2. When you are working at a school, what is one early sign that the school is NOT going to be able to move forward and gain momentum?

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Coach Eddie begins this episode reflecting on just how far some schools have come since an initial visit when he was greeted by pitchforks and effigies.

The episode then shifts to a new approach to target and intervention that is starting to get momentum across the country at the schools where Coach Eddie is working in.

What if we can find a way to slow down enough to ensure that every student makes the necessary progress to grade level proficiency, while at the same time staying on pace with our Tier 1 instruction and curriculum calendar.? while it is not exactly the solution for every school, VITAMIN Time is a great way to bridge the gap while still moving forward with targeted intervention and grade level expectations.

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Coach Eddie starts with an update from Episode 2, telling us about how a principal in Inglewood continued the work on Learning Walks and even moved the work forward with success and clarity.

Episode 3 focuses on every leader’s worst nightmare… Standing in front of a staff that is RESISTANT and NOT happy to hear what you have to say. Coach Eddie reflects on some of these days from his coaching and principal experience, digging deep into why this happens. Then we learn some practical tricks and strategies for turning the tide and moving forward, while still being clear with the message:

“We are here to get better and evolve. Can we commit to being better today than we were yesterday?” Coach Eddie emphasizes the importance of standing your ground and getting clear about what we are here to do. We will all face the crowds with “pitchforks and effigies” and we need to realize it is part of the journey.

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The episode starts with an update from the school that Coach Eddie visited in episode 1. Were the teams able to establish norms? Were they able to create clarity? Did they do their homework?

Episode 2 takes us to South Central Los Angeles where two high schools that have long been cross town rivals were just recently merged into one school The principal is looking for a way to build unity among his staff, and find a way to bring them together. Coach Eddie introduces the idea of Learning Sweeps as a way to collect valuable data about Tier 1 instruction and learning, while offering the staff a chance to come together to look at the data and make decisions about school improvement.

Coach Eddie and Coco discuss an initial visit to a school in the Central Valley, CA. During this visit, Coach Eddie worked with site leaders and teams to establish strong foundations for teams that were meeting regularly, but not evolving regularly.

On the Road With Coach Eddie and Coco cuts through the theory of school change and brings you “ into the room” as Coach Eddie reflects on various challenges, barriers, and victories based on his work as a principal and as a change agent at schools across the country. Our A I cohost (Coco) takes the journals and notes from Coach Eddie’s reflections after each visit and organizes them into a format that is simple and accessible for all of us to understand. Learn some practical strategies and feasible steps to improve your team, your school, or your own individual practice. More importantly, put these steps into action tomorrow. We are about action over theory. Join us on the road (with Coach Eddie and Coco.)