District to contract principal leadership coaches under grant; board asks for timeline and progress updates

The School City of East Chicago presented six principal leadership coach contracts funded by a grant during the June 5 work session. Administration representatives described the program as an intensive, semester-long coaching sequence designed to supplement district supervision of principals.

Superintendent Dr. Burnet told the board the program pairs each principal with a coach and that principals selected their coaches after meeting candidates. "There is a total of 10 sessions, 4 of them are in person, and the other 6 are virtual," he said. The administration said the sessions include both in-person and virtual meetings and that coaches will provide tailored support for each school's needs.

Board members pressed for implementation details. Trustees asked for start dates, progress reporting tied to payment installments and clarity on travel reimbursement language in the contracts. Administration said coaches would begin work when principals return in July (administration indicated July 28 as a start around principals' return-to-work dates) and that coach payments would be handled in multiple installments. The superintendent also said the district will provide midyear evaluation checkpoints for principals during the coaching period.

Trustees requested that the administration return with: clear start and end dates in the contracts, a schedule of deliverables and interim reports aligned to payment installments, and resumes or credentials for contract consultants. The board discussed holding an executive-session briefing on gaps the coaches will address before finalizing expectations.

Ending: The board did not vote on the contracts in the work session; administration said it would revise contract language to add explicit dates and reporting checkpoints and return the contracts for formal approval.