Executive+Coach

__The NELA Executive Coach __
The overarching role of the NELA Executive Coach is to provide additional support and instruction to Fellows that complements and expands the Fellow’s work with faculty and mentor principals by doing the following:


 * Helping NELA Fellows have an enhanced understanding of the role of effective leaders and further provide them with the skills, knowledge and understanding of how to be transformational school leaders.
 * Improving the Fellow’s leadership ability by having individuals believe in themselves and develop the efficacy to find their own answers.
 * Serving in a non-supervisory role as an external source of confidential and expert support (being a “sounding board”). Through this highly supportive and reflective approach, aspiring school leaders will gain both authentic inter- and intrapersonal lessons of leadership. They will learn new strategies for problem solving and enriching leadership in their schools in ways that have an immediate impact on teaching practices and student learning.

__**My Executive Coach- Thomas (Tom) Benton **__
Before working with NELA, Tom worked as an administrator in Wake County Schools for over 20 years and has worked with many programs including the New Schools Initiative, hiring committee for Wake County Schools, Distinguished Leadership Practice through NCPAPA, and the Triangle Leaderhship Academy. He has worked in the education field for over 32 years. He was most recently appointed a position on the Wake County Board of Education. He conducts evaluations on my performance during my internship using the North Carolina Principal Candidate standards, as well as offers feedback based on weekly and monthly log reflections I submit, face-to-face meetings and principal input.