Leadership and Instruction

With extensive knowledge of best practices and current research, our experienced, highly qualified professionals serve as a valuable resource for organizations developing district and school leaders, teacher leaders, and mentoring programs.

CES partners with school and district educators to assess programs, provide coaching and technical assistance, and facilitate continued development toward strategic planning, program improvement, and educator effectiveness. 

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Creating Leadership for Change

Our Approach

CES specializes in working with school and district leaders; and brings deep perspectives, practices, and understanding to the issues around responding to learners’ multiple identities. We offer knowledge of the role of leadership in change management, and deep understanding of the programmatic and instructional implications of growth model and other student achievement data. We work to support strong school and district leadership that makes optimal use of communication and collaboration for mutual trust and accountability. 

Experience

CES brings extensive experience with strategic planning, leadership development, and instructional coaching. Our partnership at the department, school, and district levels has supported educators toward deeper understanding and practical strategies for educating learners who are traditionally underserved, such as learners with disabilities, learners in poverty, learners living with trauma and atypical social-emotional needs, and culturally and linguistically diverse learners.  We support educators in their efforts toward inclusivity in their policies and practices for the development of the whole child. When we support teachers and other educators to strengthen their practice, we partner with administrative and teacher leaders to promote a sustained effort beyond the consultation period.

Two educators talking in hallway in school

The essential challenge for school leaders is to bring out the greatness in others. But who can assist the leader to realize his or her greatness? I have found principals who are receptive to a mentoring relationship with someone outside of the district to be seekers of personal excellence and have seen those who have participated in the mentoring provided by CES develop a clearer vision of their potential as leaders.

School District Superintendent 

“People are not just one thing, and our practices and protocols in education often address them that way. We do certain things for students with disabilities, and other things for ELLs, but what of the student who is both, and black or brown also? There are ways for districts and schools to work on expanding our perspectives and practices in order to fully see – and serve – the whole student.” 

Dr. Johnson-Mussad

Leadership Services include:

  • Coaching for district and building leaders, instructional coaches, teacher leaders, and teachers, on
    • Responding to diverse learners
    • Designing for rigor
    • Building academic language
    • Student-centered instructional models
    • Equity and inclusion applied to particular problems of practice
  • Strategic planning at the
    • District level
    • School level
    • Department level
    • Grade level
    • Program level
    • Curriculum development (See Curriculum)
    • Program evaluation to strengthen design, instruction, and administrator and teacher leadership
    • Administrator development, coaching, and mentoring
    • Tailored professional development on 
      • Culturally responsive practice
      • Culturally responsive practice in using grant resources
      • The IEP process and responsive teaming
      • Trauma-engaged schools and practice
      • Social-emotional learning for adults and young people and responding to challenging behavior
      • Gifted education
      • Improving outcomes for students in poverty 

    Some Examples of Past Projects Include

    Leading Educational Access Project (LEAP)

    Leading the statewide training-of-trainers component of MA DESE’s Leading Educational Access Project (LEAP) to improve outcomes for students in poverty, and facilitating an intensive institute on teaching students in poverty for the Anchorage, Alaska School District Summer Academy

    Professional development, technical assistance and coaching for leaders, teachers and instructional coaches

    Supporting the Chelsea Public Schools’ three middle schools to improve student outcomes

    The Belchertown Public Schools Strategic Planning Project

    Working with the Belchertown Public Schools leadership team to facilitate the development of a multi-year strategic plan and related year 1 action plans

    The Principals’ Leadership Academy

    The Principals’ Leadership Academy (PLA) in SY22/23, supported multiple district leaders. Dr. Johnson-Mussad teamed up with two other leadership coaches to provide professional development and year-long regular coaching sessions with district principals.

    The English Learner Education (ELE) Program Development Project

    Working with the ELL Coordinator at Windham Northeast Supervisory Union in VT to design a comprehensive ELL program for the 2022-2023 school year, including EL student scheduling, curriculum, meeting diverse learners’ needs, research- and evidence-based EL instruction, and systems to support EL education

    The CES Team Includes

    Albert Johnson-Mussad

    Dr. Johnson-Mussad serves as a staff consultant in leadership and instruction at the Collaborative for Educational Services. He travels nationally to facilitate professional development for school leaders, teachers and other licensed educators in instructional leadership; English learner education; world language and bilingual education; adolescent literacy education; improving outcomes for students in poverty; and social-emotional learning. He has been helping K-12 writers who are English learners, including EL’s with disabilities, to communicate personally compelling meaning for 30 ...

    Position: Leadership and Instruction Continuous Improvement Specialist

    Email: ajohnsonmussad@collaborative.org

    Phone: 413.586.4900 x5945

    Angela Burke, M.Ed.

    Angela Burke, M.Ed, oversees CES Professional Services teams that include Professional Development, Licensure, ...

    Position: Director of Professional Services

    Email: aburke@collaborative.org

    Phone: 413.586.4900 x5926

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