Two dates are about to reorganize mentor coaching.

January 1, 2027. April 1, 2027.

If you mentor coaches — or you are a candidate who will need mentor coaching — those two dates change who qualifies, what qualifies, and what evidence counts. The Mentor Coach Specialization arrives. Performance evaluations retire for ACC and PCC Portfolio candidates. A new Mentor Coaching Competency Model sits alongside the Core Competencies.

I have spent this year reading the changes closely and writing about what they may be teaching us about the profession — not only what the forms now require. Along the way I made two things to keep the transition legible:

• The Drive-Through Placemat — the whole transition on one page. What changes, what stays the same, and when.
• The MCS Pathway Decision Map — which route applies to you, based on where you already stand.

Both are free. Tell me where to send them, and you will also get Beyond the Script: Field Notes — essays on mentor coaching, supervision, and the distinctions that separate competent from masterful practice.