Leadership Coaching

Leadership Coaching That Develops the Leaders Your District Depends On

Our team of leadership coaches work directly with superintendents, principals, teachers, and district leaders to build the skills and confidence it takes to lead a school or district over the long term, not just through one initiative. We provide on-site and virtual coaching for districts, schools and individual educators.

Coaching Framework

State and national award-winning principal Jimmy Casas and his team of associates provide on-site and virtual one-on-one leadership coaching for individuals, as well as support for school and district office teams. Our team consists of current practitioners who are still working in schools as well as experienced associates who model and expect excellence in their daily work.

Our approach emphasizes both an individual and systemic growth model to equip leaders with not only the “why,” but the ”how,” in developing the necessary knowledge, skill sets, competencies, tools, and disposition to support them in reaching specific, targeted goal areas.

The J Casas coaching framework, based on the 4 Premises of his best-selling book Culturize, is designed to provide school and district leaders with effective strategies to manage complex problems that are negatively impacting their campus culture.

These four premises focus specifically on the following concepts:

Lead From a Core Set of Values

Leaders will expect and model for their teams what it means to bring their best selves to work. This begins by defining, and developing their collective commitments regarding staff behavior towards students, families, and colleagues. In Premise #1, we model for your leaders how to “work on their people” to inspire them to be more and do more than they ever thought possible. 

Cultivate A Community of Leaders

Leaders understand the importance of distributive leadership, but most struggle how to build the necessary capacity to move a school forward. In Premise #2, leaders will learn fundamental strategies to grow a community of leaders.

See Culture Through the Eyes of Others

Leaders will learn effective strategies to identify the negative undercurrents within their organization. In Premise #3, we give leaders the necessary tools to inspire a culture of transparency and collective efficacy.

Average Exists in Every Organization

Leaders will learn proven processes, frameworks, and systems that will help them minimize apathy and low morale on their campus. In Premise #4, we provide leaders the necessary protocols to implement effective change and transform their campus’ culture to excellence.

Leadership Coaching Team

Joy Kelly

Senior Associate

Jim Wichman

Senior Associate

Sarah Johnson, Ed.D

Senior Associate

Shannon Myers, Ed.D

Associate

Stephen Speck

Associate

Our Approach

Our customized approach also allows for meaningful dialogue between educator and coach in order to suit your individual and or building needs (see Problems of Practice below). In between coaching visits, we stay connected with you to organize a living framework that includes a plan to support you and your progress. Our coaches are committed to excellence, but more importantly, we are passionate about investing in you to help you live your excellence.

Problems of Practice

Purposeful Core Values – Finding, Defining and Living Your Why

Transforming Teaching and Learning – Shifting from Evaluator to Coach

Building Capacity – Empowering Staff to Help Lead the School

Eradicating Average – Moving Beyond the Status Quo

Managing Student Discipline – Handling All Students with Care

Effective Change – Identifying Processes/Frameworks/Systems to Impact Positive Change

Hiring for Excellence – A Framework for Growing, Developing and Retaining Staff

Leading the Learning - Measuring Teaching Impact via Relationships, Engagement and Formative Assessments.

Pyramid of Relationships – Strategies for Cultivating Meaningful Relationships

Time Management – Strategies for Maintaining Work/Life Balance

Data Dives – Moving from Current Reality to Desired State

Addressing Underperformance – Modeling Techniques for Managing Difficult Conversations

Effective Communication– Giving Critical Feedback to Improve Clarity of Expectations

Coaching Testimonials

  • Through tailored sessions, they have equipped our leadership team with valuable tools for strategic decision-making, fostering a collaborative culture, and effectively navigating challenges. Their expertise and commitment to professional growth has inspired greater confidence, improved communication, and stronger leadership throughout our district, ultimately benefiting our entire school community. Their guidance has been invaluable to the work we are doing here. The growth we have seen and continue to see in our district leadership directly reflects the support, co-thinking, and challenging coaching provided by Mr. Casas and his team. We plan to continue to have a long-lasting, productive relationship that moves us ever closer to our Culture of Excellence!

    Tiffany Bone, Ed.D, Assistant Superintendent, Fort Smith Public Schools



  • The experiences that J Casas has provided our leaders in Gwinnett County Public Schools have been nothing short of transformational. The energy and clarity of feedback they provide are unparalleled and not only support and enhance our school level and district leaders’ ability to nurture their own environments, but those his team reaches are simply better leaders after they encounter their coaching and high-quality facilitation. Jimmy and his team are extremely personal in their approach. You feel like you are part of their family, and they are most effective when you invite them in to be a part of your organization’s family. Their work is not only exemplary but also inspiring. Jimmy’s deep sense of personal pride, positive attitude toward his work, perseverance, and uplifting sense of commitment are of true value to all of us who have the privilege of working with him and his team.

    Jeffrey A. Mathews, PhD, Assistant Superintendent, Office of Leadership Development, Gwinnett County Public Schools



  • They have brought real world, relevant examples and solutions to problems that are both unique to our district and common to all educators. The frameworks provided and the systemic thinking that is modeled brings a deeper understanding of what it means to lead with purpose.

    Beverly Price, ED.D Superintendent, Alexander City Schools