Instructional leaders know identifying a need for change is often the easy part. Building teacher buy-in, sustaining momentum, and translating a vision into daily classroom practice is where the real work begins.

Watch the recording of our July 2026 fireside chat with Dr. Mat Barnett, an instructional leader from Beaumont Unified School District, who successfully led a districtwide effort to increase authentic writing opportunities across multiple campuses. By leveraging existing curriculum resources, providing clear instructional leadership, modeling lessons for teachers, and engaging in ongoing observation and root cause analysis, Mat and his team transformed writing from an initiative into a consistent instructional practice.

In this candid conversation, we explore how instructional leaders can navigate difficult conversations, build trust with teachers, create meaningful professional learning experiences, and move from identifying instructional gaps to implementing sustainable change.

Whether you're a district administrator, principal, instructional coach, or teacher leader, you'll leave with practical strategies for leading instructional improvement in environments where teacher autonomy is high and lasting change requires both persistence and partnership.