OPEN TO PHASE 4 AND 5 COMMUNITIES
What are Circles You Ask?
Ford NGL Circles are places where you can network with your peers, discuss topics that are impacting your work, learn about innovative practices other communities are using, and get support for strategies you’re trying to implement.
They are virtual professional learning communities for folks with specific roles in our Phase 4 and Phase 5 communities. They typically meet every other month for 60-75 minutes.
Academy Coaches Circle
Designed for those who serve as Academy Coaches, or have similar roles, at their high schools, coordinating and facilitating academy/pathway activities, including work-based learning experiences, effective teaming, and more.
Community Transformation Leadership Circle
Designed for community leadership teams responsible for advancing community connected transformation. Communities are encouraged to participate as a collaborative team, including Assistant Superintendents, District Transformation Leaders, Curriculum & Instruction Leaders, Principal Supervisors, and other key system and community leaders.
Partnership Directors Circle
Academy Coaches Circle
Are you an Academy Coach or have a similar role?
All Phase 4 & 5 communities have an individual at each of their high schools, coordinating and facilitating academy/pathway activities, including work-based learning experiences, supporting effective academy teaming, and more.
Does this sound like what you do?
Reach out to Beth Grzelak ([email protected]), co-facilitator of the Academy Coach Circle, to learn more about the group and to get enrolled!
Community Transformation Leadership Circle
Every community needs a strong, collaborative team to drive meaningful transformation—this work is too important to rest on one role alone. Whether you serve as an Assistant Superintendent, Director, Coordinator, or in another leadership capacity guiding the day-to-day implementation and progress of the Community Connected efforts, Ford NGL feels passionately about the power of the network and providing support through role-like circles.
But lasting impact requires more than a single perspective. For the Community Transformation Leadership Collaborative Circle, we encourage communities to bring a team—including curriculum leaders and principal supervisors—to ensure alignment across classrooms, schools, and systems. Together, you’ll build shared ownership, strengthen system-level practices, and create the conditions for sustainable, long-term success.
Join us to lead, learn, and grow—as a team.
For more information about this circle, please email Lisa Oleski, Circle Facilitator, at [email protected].
Does this sound like the right circle for you?
If so, then email us at [email protected] to get enrolled!
Partnership Directors Circle
Are you in a role named, or similar to, Partnership Director?
This Circle is designed for those who lead and coordinate partnerships between multiple schools within a district, businesses, and community partners. This may be an internal (district-level) role or an external role (e.g., United Way, economic development, chamber) that manages business-education collaborations at the systems-level.Â
Does this sound like what you do?
Talk with your Ford NGL Coach(es), to see if this is the right Circle for your role, and if so, email [email protected] to get enrolled!