BCP Hosts Coaches’ Training
January 21, 2026
Highly trained academic coaches are one of the foundations of the educational model for the Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) network of neighborhood conversion charter schools. Each school has full-time coaches — former BCP master teachers — working with the school’s seasoned and new faculty to improve teaching and student success.
Coaches work individually with teachers and provide department and schoolwide training on Direct Instruction and other subjects. The result is a robust, ongoing culture of teacher support and community that creates real-time feedback and translates into instructional differentiation to help every learner thrive in the BCP classroom.
Every few years, BCP principals select exceptional teachers at their school to engage in New Coaches’ Training, a BCP-run, two-day program to explore what it means to be an academic coach. The last BCP training was in early 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Held at BCP headquarters on January 13 and 14, 2026, the most recent training included 12 teachers chosen for a cohort. The teachers learned about coaching from expert instructors and coaches using resources from the National Institute for Direct Instruction (NIFDI), BCP’s DI partner since BCP’s founding in 1996:
- Cheryl Shelton, DI expert from NIFDI; and
- Randi Saulter, an independent education consultant and NIFDI Implementation Manager, who also coaches non-DI programs at the middle-school level
Of the cohort, seven were trained for DI instruction at the elementary-school level, and five were trained for middle-school coaching in non-DI subjects like Math. During the final day of the workshop, the teachers went into a BCP classroom to collect data, observe, and take notes, something that coaches do regularly.
The training has immediate benefits to each BCP school. “Teachers often serve as mentors to their colleagues, and once a teacher has completed this training, they can help support the work of our coaches,” Doherty adds. “This is part of BCP’s pride for the past three decades: having a lot of great coaches to bring up the next generation of great teachers.”
“What a pleasure to work with the coaches and teachers!” reflects Randi Saulter. “Participants demonstrated impressive professionalism, instructional insight, and clear promise as they continue developing into highly effective coaches. I look forward to our work together as they develop new skills and sharpen the skills they bring to the table.”
Corey Isaacs, an ELA teacher at Pimlico Elementary Middle School, thoroughly enjoyed the training, which expanded his knowledge of his craft and his network. “The training was really informative, engaging, and helpful,” he says. “I learned many strategies that I can use, both in my classroom and in helping others grow as educators. Perhaps best of all, it was great to meet with people from other BCP schools with roles similar to mine, so that we could trade ideas and share our experiences — getting other perspectives has provided me with countless ideas about how to elevate myself and others at Pimlico.”
Kat Locke-Jones, Intervention Teacher at Hampstead Hill Academy and the 2025 Maryland Teacher of the Year and 2024 Baltimore City Teacher of the Year, also enjoyed the training. She notes that her biggest takeaway was the power of collaborating across BCP schools. “Being able to engage with teachers and coaches about what’s shared and what’s unique in our schools was incredibly affirming and sharpened my own practice,” she adds. “I’m excited to continue supporting teachers, especially around writing instruction, by creating more intentional opportunities for students to respond, revise, and truly engage with their thinking.”
Read more about BCP’s coaching program: