Portraits in Practice

A cohort for school system leaders to turn a portrait of a graduate into real action.

Most districts don’t struggle to define a Portrait of a Graduate. They struggle to make it matter—in strategy, instruction, and day-to-day decisions.

Portraits in Practice is a short, focused cohort designed to help district leaders move beyond posters and language and into clarity, coherence, and commitment—without launching another initiative or overloading staff.

Who This Cohort is For

This cohort is designed for district leaders who are responsible for ensuring their Portrait of a Graduate (POG, or Learner Profile) actually shapes how the system operates, including:

  • Superintendents and deputy/assistant superintendents

  • Chiefs of Teaching & Learning / Instruction

  • Chiefs of Strategy, Innovation, or Student Success

  • District leaders tasked with owning or stewarding their district’s POG

You’ll get the most value if you’re thinking:

  • “Our Portrait of a Graduate exists, but it’s not driving real decisions.”

  • “We talk about our Learner Profile more than we use it.”

  • “We need focus—not a full redesign.”

What You’ll Experience

Portraits in Practice is a short, focused cohort designed to fit the realities of district leadership. The cohort runs over six weeks and includes weekly live, 75-minute virtual convenings (one per week) designed for meaningful discussion, peer-to-peer idea sharing, and problem solving. Each participant is also offered a short post-cohort strategy conversation to reflect on implications and next steps.

It’s important to note that is not a traditional workshop or training. Participants should expect:

  • Honest conversation without the pressure to perform or present

  • Space to pressure-test ideas and assumptions

  • Periodic synthesis from Homeroom capturing themes and tensions emerging across the group

Sample themes for each week can be found below:

Week 1: Naming the Real Tension

We surface the gap many leaders feel between aspirational language and day-to-day system behavior. Participants build shared language for why Portraits of a Graduate stall and why that’s a system issue, not a leadership failure.

Week 2: Conditions for Forward Momentum

This session helps leaders distinguish between eagerness to move forward and the conditions required to do so responsibly. Participants develop a clear read on what is realistically possible now and what should wait.

Week 3: Choosing Your Leverage Points

Leaders examine where Portraits of a Graduate are expected to influence everything, and therefore influence nothing. The focus is on identifying a small number of leverage points where the POG can meaningfully shape decisions.

Week 4: Avoiding the Predictable Pitfalls

Participants explore the most common ways that POG efforts quietly stall, overreach, or lose coherence. The emphasis is on foresight—understanding what to avoid as much as what to pursue.

Week 5: The 90-Day Decision Lens

This session centers on making tradeoffs explicit. Leaders apply a practical decision lens to determine what to prioritize, what to pause, and what to stop over the next 90 days.

Week 6: Leading with Credible Language

The final convening focuses on how leaders talk about this work with cabinets, boards, and communities. Participants refine language that reflects honest progress and forward motion without inflating claims or eroding trust.

Between sessions, participants receive brief, optional reflection prompts (10–15 minutes), curated short readings or artifacts drawn from real district contexts, and occasional one-page provocation memos to sharpen thinking. There is no traditional homework — everything shared is designed to clarify judgment, not add to your workload.

What You’ll Walk Away With

Portraits in Practice isn’t designed to produce more language or another deliverable. It’s designed to give district leaders clearer judgment at a moment when missteps are costly.

Participants leave with:

  • An honest assessment of where your district truly is with its Portrait of a Graduate (or learner aspirations)—and what conditions are in place to move forward responsibly.

  • Insight into the most common failure modes that stall or dilute Portrait work, so you avoid spending time, political capital, and energy in the wrong places.

  • A 90-day decision lens to determine what to prioritize, what to pause, and what to stop—so the Portrait begins to shape real decisions instead of sitting alongside them.

  • Stronger language for cabinet and board conversations and clear framing to talk honestly about progress, constraints, and next moves without overpromising or losing credibility.

  • A grounded sense of what’s realistic and high-impact given your district’s size, capacity, and context—based on candid conversations with leaders facing similar challenges.

Participants will also leave with a short Portrait Action Brief that captures their current state, priority focus, and implications for next steps—but the real value is the clarity behind it. You will leave knowing what matters now, what can wait, and what will actually move the work forward.

Applying to Participate

Portraits in Practice is intentionally small and invitation-based. The cohort is designed for district leaders who are actively navigating questions of vision, coherence, and implementation—and who value candid, peer-level conversation. To preserve the quality of the experience, participation is limited.

Rather than open registration, we use a short application to ensure the cohort is the right fit for both you and the group. Applying is simple and low-lift.

You’ll be asked to respond to a small number of prompts to help us understand:

  • Your role and responsibilities

  • Where your district currently is with its Portrait or graduate aspirations

  • What prompted your interest at this moment

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Once reviewed, you’ll receive a follow-up to confirm fit and share next steps.

Apply to Participate

Portraits in Practice is a small, invitation-based cohort for district leaders who want greater clarity about how a Portrait of a Graduate should shape real system decisions.

The cohort prioritizes candid conversation, judgment, and peer perspective over presentations or polished deliverables. Space is limited to preserve the quality of discussion.

Participation is $1,000 per leader, which includes all cohort sessions, materials, and a post-cohort strategy conversation. Payment details are shared upon acceptance.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this cohort for?
Portraits in Practice is designed for district leaders who are responsible for stewarding a Portrait of a Graduate, learner profile, or graduate aspirations — or deciding whether and how to articulate one responsibly. Most participants are superintendents, deputy/assistant superintendents, or cabinet-level leaders with systemwide scope.

Do I need to already have a Portrait of a Graduate to participate?
No. Some participants come with an established POG; others are determining whether and how to pursue one. The cohort is designed to support both situations by focusing on judgment, readiness, and decision-making, not design work.

Is this a training or professional development series?
No. This is not a training, workshop, or design sprint. The cohort is structured around peer-level conversation, sense-making, and strategic judgment rather than instruction or skill-building.

What is the time commitment?
The cohort meets once per week for six weeks. Each convening is 75 minutes. Between sessions, participants may choose to engage with brief optional reflections or short readings (10–15 minutes).

What is the cost?
Participation is $1,000 per leader, which includes all cohort sessions, materials, and a post-cohort strategy consultation. Payment details are shared upon acceptance.

Will there be deliverables or required outputs?
There are no required deliverables. Participants may choose to capture insights for their own use, and Homeroom provides periodic synthesis to reflect themes and patterns emerging across the group. The primary outcome is clarity, not a finished product.

How large is the cohort?
The cohort is intentionally small to support candid conversation and meaningful peer exchange. Space is limited, and participation is confirmed through a short application process.

What if I miss a session?
Live participation is strongly encouraged, as the value comes from the conversation. That said, we understand the realities of district leadership. Participants will still have access to shared resources and synthesized reflections if a session must be missed.

Can multiple leaders from the same district participate?
Yes, if space allows. Some districts choose to participate as a pair (e.g., superintendent and deputy or chief). This can be indicated during the application process.

What happens after the cohort ends?
Each participant is offered a short individual strategy consultation to reflect on implications for their district and pressure-test next steps. There is no expectation of ongoing engagement beyond the cohort.