Critical Friends Groups (CFGs) are the product of a simple idea; providing deliberate time and structures to promote adult professional growth that is directly linked to student learning. CFG’s provide educators and schools with specific tools, structures, and resources to support safe and effective collaborative learning linked to classroom practice.

Don't get your "Critical" friend

Of value to all leaders in education, facilitative leadership skills, built through participation in CFGs, engage school communities in work worth doing, foster a focused school community, and build a collaborative and reflective culture in schools.

CFG members are committed to making their practice public to one another, to being reflective, and to holding each other accountable for meeting the needs and interests of all students.

CFG members are committed to making their practice public to one another, to being reflective, and to holding each other accountable for meeting the needs and interests of all students.  Through critical friendship, educators share resources and ideas

Through critical friendship, educators share resources and ideas, support each other in implementing new practices, and build relationships among colleagues characterized by mutual trust and freedom from judgment, while keeping a keen focus on issues of equity.  They most often work in on-going, collaborative groups where they freely discuss each other’s practice with the intention of improving student learning.