Critical Friends Group

According to the National School Reform Faculty, a Critical Friends Group (CFG) community is a particular variety of Professional Learning Community (PLC). CFG communities consist of 5-12 members who commit to improving their practice through collaborative learning and structured interactions (protocols), and meet at least once a month for about two hours.

CFG work can do a lot for a school:

• honor and prioritize time for deep reflection,

• develop critical problem-solving,

• build trust between colleagues,

• reduce teacher and administrator isolation,

• reveal solutions to complex dilemmas,

• foster equity,

• change school culture,

• model and build 21st Century Skills

At UVEI, a Critical Friends Group (CFG) is a small group of candidates of who meet on a regular basis to engage in professional discourse, often with a focus on disrupting patterns of inequality in their schools.  CFG meetings are occasions for confidential sharing among candidates and for learning about group process in professional situations.