Richard Frank is a transformational coach with over 25 years of experience in education. He has collaborated with hundreds of educators in multiple states, schools, and districts, in roles as varied as teacher, trainer, mentor, coach, and consultant.
Throughout his career, Richard has demonstrated a commitment to deconstructing the personal and structural behaviors, systems, and policies that lead to school-wide inequities, while building replacements to create improved and equitable educational experiences and outcomes for every student. A passionate advocate for transforming the quality and culture of education for youth, especially those from traditionally disenfranchised communities, his efforts focus primarily on developing mindsets and implementing practices necessary to transform educational spaces into culturally responsive environments that maximize student success.
Richard received his doctoral degree in Educational Leadership and Policy from Vanderbilt University, Masters in Elementary Education from Vanderbilt University, and Bachelors of Arts in Political Economy from Tulane University. He coaches and consults nationally, but is based in Nashville where he enjoys spending time with his family, exploring outdoors, and obsessing over his vinyl records and other music interests.
To read more about Richard’s background in education and his dedication to helping teachers become “champions” for their students, click here.
Click below to read posts from Richard on our blog:
- Scholars Can’t Wait for Our Wokeness to Emerge –As educators, it’s our duty to be vigilant and proactive in removing any racist barriers that prevent scholars from actively engaging in the education they deserve.
- An Educational Leadership Field Guide for Addressing and Unpacking Antiracist Inhibiting Mindsets – This field guide is intended to help school leaders better understand, address, and move with fellow educators beyond these commonly shared mindsets that inhibit engagement in the critical work of antiracism.
- Selecting Culturally Relevant Texts – Educators should be intentional in their selection of the literature they read to students, put on display, or use in their classroom libraries.
- Caring About vs. Caring For – Here, Richard discusses the difference between caring about students and demonstrating care to students, and how common classroom moves can help teachers show care for and build relationships with students beyond the surface.
Richard also wrote an article for ASCD’s Inservice blog that details “look fors” that school leaders should use when establishing a culture of high expectations in their buildings.
