GAEL Spring 2026 Webinar Session 3: Aligning People and Practice

In partnership with the Georgia Association of Educational Leaders (GAEL), the Georgia Department of Education presented “Leading ELA & Literacy NOW: The Alignment Advantage,” a three-part GAEL 2026 spring webinar leadership series focused on helping educational leaders create the conditions for successful literacy instruction. Grounded in the belief that aligned systems drive student outcomes, the series examined how standards, curriculum, time, support structures, and professional learning can work together to improve teaching and learning at scale.

Session 1: From Page to Practice: Aligning What’s Taught
Session 2: Right Time, Right Support: Scheduling Assessment and Intervention That Works: Aligning Time and Support
Session 3: Coaching the Work Forward: Aligning People and Practice

This recording captures Session 3, “Coaching the Work Forward: Aligning People and Practice,” originally presented on May 14, 2026. GaDOE Statewide Literacy Coaching Coordinator Dr. Nik Philmon, Director of Literacy Amy Denty, and Deputy Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Dr. April Aldridge focused on sustaining literacy improvement through aligned leadership and instructional coaching.

Participants explored how coaching serves as a driver for building clarity, coherence, consistency, and capacity across a school or district. Key topics included fostering a culture of coaching, strengthening principal-coach partnerships, aligning coaching priorities to standards and instructional goals, and providing feedback that moves practice rather than merely monitoring compliance. The session emphasized developing adult learning systems that support continuous growth and ensure that literacy initiatives remain effective long after implementation begins.

Primary Contact: Amy Denty - amy.denty@doe.k12.ga.us

Secondary Contact: Sarah Welch - sarah.welch@doe.k12.ga.us