Reimagining Teacher Evaluation: A Human-Centered, Equity-Focused Approach

Cost: $320/member; $460/non-member
Audience: Academic Leaders, including Division Directors, Deans of Faculty & Department Chairs
Location: The Shipley School, 814 Yarrow Street, Bryn Mawr, PA

Evaluation systems in independent schools are often well-intentioned but underperforming, designed to comply rather than to transform. This full-day workshop invites school leaders to shift from approaching teacher evaluation as a compliance-driven task into a meaningful, growth-oriented process. We will explore how to reimagine evaluation as an act of "tending the ecosystem," a collaborative and continuous practice rooted in equity, well-being, and professional growth. Participants will engage with research-based tools for assessing instruction and classroom culture, receive practical, easy-to-adapt assessments and tools for their school sites, and leave with a clear road map for collaboratively designing an evaluation system that better supports the flourishing of both educators and students at their schools.

This workshop is grounded in the Four Foundations framework from Integrating Educator Well-Being, Growth, and Evaluation (Cohen & Denevi, 2025) and draws on current research in improvement science, adult learning theory, and equity-centered leadership. It is designed for heads of school, division heads, department leaders, and other administrators who oversee teacher growth and evaluation.

Intended outcomes:

• Explore the interconnectedness of equity, well-being, growth, and evaluation in a thriving school ecosystem
• Analyze their current evaluation practices through a research-based equity and human-centered lens
• Apply practical tools to identify strengths and gaps in one’s community
• Design a preliminary action plan for evolving their evaluation system in ways that are sustainable and culturally responsive

Meet the Presenter:

I have worked in education for three decades, serving as a teacher, instructional coach, site leader, professional development facilitator, and published author. While working in schools, I developed a Teaching Fellows program for new teachers, in-house professional development tailored to the needs of the staff, built instructional coaching programs, and served as the Dean of Faculty where I oversaw the overhaul of teacher growth and evaluation. I also supported new teachers across the state of California as they developed their skills as early-career educators.

Professional Experience: In 2019, I began working as an independent consultant and have worked with clients all over the globe. I have worked with the Eastern Education Resource Collaborative (East Ed) and as the Developer of People and Programs for Bright Morning Consulting. I am a contributing author of The Art of Coaching Workbook (2020). I am co-author (with Elena Aguilar) of The PD Book: 7 Habits that Transform Professional Development (2022) and Integrating Educator Well-Being, Growth, and Evaluation: Four Foundations for Leaders (with Elizabeth Denevi) (2025). She is currently working on a book on transformative lesson planning, due out in 2026.

Where I live & what I love to do: I live in Portland, Oregon, with my partner and adorable dog. When I’m not consulting, coaching, leading workshops, or writing, I am running through the gorgeous landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, drinking delicious coffee, or scoping out the latest restaurant.