About
About the ACE Academy Leadership Coaching Program
The Advancement of Christian Education (ACE) Leadership Coaching Program is a two-year program that trains and certifies experienced school principals to become leadership coaches within the Columbia Union. The ACE Leadership Coaching Program was developed by the Bainum Family Foundation and NYC Leadership Academy (NYCLA) in response to the Columbia Union’s desire to offer more robust leadership development opportunities and on-the-job support for its principals.
The Columbia Union has long recognized that the work of a principal is extremely demanding and complex. However, many leaders find themselves navigating these environments alone, and principals feel pressured to put their own personal development on the back burner to attend to their schools’ urgent needs. By offering job-embedded and personalized support to its talented leaders, the Columbia Union aims to change this narrative to one in which principals feel valued, supported and empowered to make their unique visions for both themselves and their schools a reality.
Through a partnership with ACE Academy, the Columbia Union is developing a team of skilled leadership coaches to serve its principals. The ACE Leadership Coaching Program aims to train experienced principals to become leadership coaches during a two-year training cycle.
ACE-certified coaches will learn a diverse set of coaching strategies that both enhance their own leadership practice as well as equip them to develop other leaders within the system. Coaches will become skilled at creating powerful feedback cycles, supporting leaders in setting and achieving goals, and using reflection to both sharpen decision-making skills and instill confidence.
During the training period, each ACE coach will be paired with a school administrator (a “coachee”) to provide one-on-one coaching. Coachees selected for the program may be emerging or mid-career leaders that have a growth mindset and desire a personalized leadership coaching experience.
Together, both coaches and coachees will:
- Examine their personal mindsets and develop skills to identify and address inequitable practices so that every single student can thrive, regardless of race or circumstance
- Leverage questioning and feedback techniques to tackle complex challenges, uncover root causes and implement breakthrough solutions
- Formulate a clear strategy that moves the school toward its strategic goals and connects the vision to action
- Develop techniques for motivating and sustaining behavior change in themselves and others; experiment with new ways of thinking and being
Ultimately, the Leadership Coaching Program is intended to transform leadership behaviors of both the coaches and coachees through a unique and engaging partnership.
Download the ACE Academy Leadership Coaching Program brochure.
About ACE Academy
Developed in 2015 by the Bainum Family Foundation’s Seventh-day Adventist Initiative, Advancement of Christian Education (ACE) Academy aims to develop people who cultivate thriving, equitable learning environments. Through strategic partnerships, ACE Academy extends growth and development opportunities while also creating a community for collaboration, comradery and connection. By equipping and empowering professionals, ACE Academy’s ultimate goal is to ensure all students have equitable opportunities to learn and become successful, contributing members of society. Our efforts include three focus areas: Leadership Excellence, Instructional Excellence and Operational Excellence.